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PRESENTED BY 
MQE and ESS. ISAAC R. mi, 

WASHJNGTON, D. C 

-1931- 





MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



ON THE 



LIFE AND CHARACTER 



ALFRED C, HARMER 

il.ATF. A Representative prom Pennsylvania) 



DELIVERED IN THE 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE, 



FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS, 

Second Session. 



WASHINGTON: 

f-.OVKRNMKNT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1 901. 



\ ^r^-T 

MEZIL52 



Gift from 

Judge and Mrs. Isaac R. Hitt 
Nov. 17, 1931 






TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House of Representatives 5 

Address of Mr. Bingham, of Pennsylvania lo 

Address of Mr. Cunnnings, of New York 14 

Address of Mr. (irosvenor, of Ohio 17 

Address of Mr. Adams, of Pennsylvania 21 

Address of Mr. McCleary. of Minnesota 23 

Address of Mr. White, of North Carolina 25 

Address of Mr. McAleer, of Pennsylvania 28 

Address of Mr. De Arniond, of Mi.ssouri 30 

Address of Mr. Otey, of Virginia 34 

Address of Mr. Meyer, of Louisiana .... 37 

Address of Mr. Morrell. of Pennsylvania 41 

Address of Mr. Sibley, of Pennsylvania 46 

Proceedings in the Senate 49 

Address of Mr. Penrose, of Pennsylvania 55 

Address of Mr. Rawlins, of Utah 61 

Address of Mr. Hansbrough, of North Dakota 63 

Address of Mr. Chandler, of New Hampshire 66 

Address of Mr. Money, of Mississippi 72 

Address of Mr. Hawley, of Connecticut 84 

Address of Mr. Carter, of Montana 86 



Death of Hon. Alfred C, Harmer, 



Proceedings in the House. 

March 7, 1900. 

Mr. Bingham. Mr. Speaker, it is more than a sad duty, and 
certainly most painful to me, personally, to announce to the 
House the decease of my esteemed and loved colleague, the 
Hon. Alfred C. Harmer, late a member of Congress from 
the State of Pennsylvania. 

He was recognized, as of right, "the Father of the Hou.se," 
b}' reason of long-continued service, and not onlj- that, but 
was esteemed the father of the House, becau.se of the affection 
and high regard that the members of this bodj- held for him. 

It is not my purpose at this time to make any extended 
remarks, but I would feel that I was doing far less than mj^ 
affection calls for if I did not say a few words in tribute to the 
deceased. 

Alfred C. Harmer was born in 1825 in Germantowu, now 
a part of the city of Philadelphia. From his twentj'-first j'ear 
he commenced his public service as a representative of his 
people, and until the day of his death, with but few j'ears of 
intermission, he continued their representative, either in the 
councils of the city, in offices of trust, or as a member of this 
body. 

5 



6 . Proceedings in tlic House. 

He died in the same conimunity in which he was born and 
among the ])eople who, for more than haU" a century, loved and 
honored him personally and held him in such high esteem and 
confidence that only death could sever their close relations. 

He was one of a marked group of four men whom the cit}- of 
Philadelphia sent to the American Congress, men most excep- 
tional in their usefulness and years of service to the people of 
their own home constituencies, as well as to their State and the 
nation. 

I desire, before offering the resolutions which I shall send to 
the Clerk's desk, to group together the names of those four 
members whose record to-da\' lielongs to the whole country 
and for whose memory the people of Philadelphia have especial 
affection: Judge AV. D. Kelley, who was elected to fifteen Con- 
gresses atid who served twenty-nine years; Mr. Charles O'Neill, 
who also was elected- to fifteen Congresses and .ser\-ed twenty- 
nine years; Mr. Samuel J. Randall, who was elected to fourteen 
Congresses and served twenty-seven years; and our colleague 
just deceased, Mr. A. C. H.vkmer. who likewise was elected 
to fourteen Congresses and .served twenty-seven years; in all, 
one hundred and twelve years of service given by those four 
distinguished dead — a record unparalleled in the history of the 
country. 

At a later date I shall a.sk the House to as.sign a day for 
memorial services in honor of our dead colleague. I offer the 
resolutions which I now send to the Clerk's desk. 

The resolutions were read, as follows; 

Resolved, That the House has heard with deep regret and profound 
sorrow of the death of the Hon. .-Vlfred C. Harmer, for twenty-seven 
years a Repiesentative from the State of Pennsylvania, and the senior 
member of this House in time of continuous service. 

Resolved, That a committee of fifteen members of the House, with 
such members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the 



Prccccdhigs in the House. 7 

funeral at Philadelphia, and that the necessary expenses attending the 
execut on of this order be paid out of the contingent fund of the House^ 
iSZl That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and 
dirSed to iake such steps as n>ay be necessary for properly carrying out 
the provisions of these resolutions. Senate 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. . „ . 

The Speaker announced the appointment of the toUownig 
committee in pursuance of the resolutions just adopted: 

Mr Bingham, Mr. Adams, Mr. Young of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
McAleer Mr. Dalzell, Mr. Brosius. Mr. Wanger, Mr. Butler, 
Mr Ketcham, Mr. McCleary, Mr. Babcock, Mr. Richardson, 
Mr Catchinc^s Mr. Terry, and Mr. Fitzgerald of Massachusetts. 
' Mr Bingham. Mr. Speaker, as a further mark of respect to 
our deceased colleague, I move that th. House do now adjourn 
The motion was agreed to; and accordingly (at 12 o'clock 
and 28 minutes p. m.), the House adjourned. 

June 4, 1900. 
The Speaker. The Clerk will read the request of the gen- 
tleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Bingham] . 
The Clerk read as follows: 
Resolved, That Saturday, at : p. m., the Sth day of December, ,900, 

the State of Pennsylvania. 

The Speaker. Is there objection to the request of the gen- 
tleman from Pennsylvania? 

Mr. Fitzgerald of Massachusetts. I object until the ques- 
tion of the right of the gentleman from New York 

The Speaker. That question was ruled upon twice. The 
motion to adjourn took precedence of the motion of the gentle- 
man from New York. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania? The Chair hears none. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

December 8, 1900. 
After the recess, 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report to the House the 
special order for this hour. 
The Clerk read as follows: 

On motion of Mr. Bingham, b)- unanimous consent, it was ordered that 
Saturday, at i p. ni., the Sth day of December, be set apart for the purpose 
of paying tribute to the memory of Hon. Ai,fred C. Harmer, late a 
member of the House of Representatives from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Bingham. Mr. Speaker, I have sent to the Clerk's desk 
the resolutions which I desire to submit to the House. 
The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolutions. 
The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the business of tlie House be now suspended that 
opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Alfred C. 
Harmer, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State 
of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memorv of the 
deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished 
public servant, the House, at the conclusion of these memorial proceed- 
ings, shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk conmiunicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copy of these resolu- 
tions to the family of the deceased. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 



lo Life and C/mrarfcr of Alfred C. f-farmer. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Bingham, of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Speaker: In this great Hall, where our late colleague 
and associate, Alfred C. Harmer, with rare fidelity to his 
public trusts, did good work, we have assembled to-day to 
express a loving and affectionate farewell and to pay tribute 
to a distinguished citizen of Pennsylvania, late a member of 
this Ixxh-, who for years — more than a quarter of a century — 
held the confidence of his immediate constituency, the high 
esteem of associate Representatives in fourteen Congresses, 
and who, on the 6th day of March, 1900, after a long and 
painful illness, passed away to join the nnreturning caravan 
"to where," beyond these voices, "there is rest." 

He was born August 8, 1825, in Germantown, Pa., a town- 
ship in the county of Philadelphia which in later years became 
a part of the city of Philadelphia. At an exceptionally early 
age — before he was 20 — he began his active business career in 
independent enterprise, which developed in a short time into 
a large wholesale establishment. 

In his young j'ears — in fact, we all know, even to the da\s 
Hearing his final departure — he was marked by handsome face, 
connnanding form, and genial comradeship, always conspicuous 
in the gatherings of his friends and public assemblages. 

At the age of 21 he was elected a director of the public 
schools of Germantown, and a few years later a member of 
the city councils of Philadelphia — most distinguished honors 
for a verj- young man. Although t)f the \oungest, if not the 
youngest, of that body, by his watchful care over the interests 
of his people, by his sound judgment, and by his patient energy 
he soon associated himself with and became one of the leaders 
and strong men of the cit\- legislature. 



Address of Mr. Bingham, of Pennsylvania. ii 

About that time Philadelphia held stock in the North Penn- 
sylvania Railroad to the anioinit of $1,400,000. So great was 
the confidence in his integrity that he was elected three times 
by the councils of the city as a director to protect and watch 
over the interests of the city in the great corporation. 

In i860, as a candidate of the People's Party, .successor to 
the old Whig party, he was elected recorder of deeds for the 
cit}' of Philadelphia. He filled this important trust with his 
usual fidelity and untiring industry, while during all the years 
of the civil war he devoted much of his time and active energy 
to the cause of the Union, raising funds and equipping large 
numbers of .soldiers in the field. 

In the summer of 1870 he received the nomination of the 
Repulilican party for Congress for the Fifth Pennsylvania 
di.strict, and was elected a member of the Forty-third Congress. 
This was the beginning of his long and u.seful Congressional 
career, exceeded in the history of this body by but few men, 
and identified with legi.slation as important as any quarter of 
a century's work in the history of the nation. 

From 1871 until the date of his death, twenty-seven years 
of service, there was but one Congress for which he met 
defeat, and that occurred b}- reason of two Republicans 
antagonizing each other in the district. The Democratic 
candidate polled a larger vote than either in a district whose 
normal Republican majority was 7,000. 

While Mr. H.\rjier was recognized as a Representative of 
positive force and accepted ability in the House, he rarely 
entered upon general debate or word contests upon the floor. 
He was one — and there are manj- of like character in everj^ 
Congress — whose work and results aimed for were reached in 
the committee room, a contribution as valuable to good leg- 
islation as oratory or prepared argument. His connnittee 



12 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

associates regarded him as a colleague always punctual, full 
of industry, watchful of the interests of his great State and 
industrial city, sound in judgment, clear in the expression 
of his convictions, fearless and aggressive, though most 
patient, and distinguished for his iategrity, good purposes, 
zeal, and fidelity. 

The records of the many Congresses in which he served as 
a Representative will show by his votes that at all times he 
exhibited good judgment, that he was true to his party con- 
victions, and that he was always a patriot. To no division 
or part of his constituency- did he show more faithful solici- 
tude and devote more personal labor than to the soldiers 
and widows of our wars since 1861. He made their claims 
and privileges immediate and special. In every ca.se he 
wrote an autograph letter to the claimant, with words of 
interest, sympathy, and hope. He pressed those cases per.son- 
ally and never rested until a fair and just judgment was 
rendered. P^very soldier and soldier's widow among his 
people mourned for him when he died. They felt that they 
had lost their best friend. I trust his honorable successor 
will feel that in the obligations that will press upon him his 
richest legacy will be to take up and continue Alfred C. 
Harmer's work for the old soldiers, their widows and orphans. 

He was one of a group of four men in the House, all born in 
the city of Philadelphia, whose combined service reached the 
aggregate of one hundred and twelve j-ears, commencing in 
1 86 1 and ending in 1900, two of whom served twenty-nine 
j'ears, and two of whom served twenty-.seven years, with but 
one Congress wherein there was defeat : William D. Kelley, 
who served twenty-nine years continuously; Samuel J. Randall, 
who served twenty-.seven years continuou.sly; Charles O'Neill, 
who served twenty-nine years, and our lamented colleague of 



Address of Mr. Bingham, of Pennsylvania. 13 

this Congress, Mr. Harmer, who served twenty-seven years, 
each of the two latter with one Congress of defeat. All were 
exceptionally strong men, influential in the House, and pos- 
sessing the confidence, approval, and affection of their constitu- 
ents. Let their names go into the history of this House as 
exceptional in work well done, as well as exceptional in the 
great confidence of their respective constituencies. 

When, with trembling hand and voice filled with .serious sad- 
ness and emotion, Mr. Harmek had administered the oath of 
office to the Speaker of this House, on returning to his seat 
near the rostrum, with tears in his eyes and in faltering tones 
he said to me, "This closes my public hfe— so near the end of 
my life physical. My work is done, and the curtain falls." 
We send greetings to-day, dear colleague and friend. The 
work you did for so many j-ears was work well done. Your 
people loved you, and they remember you with affectionate 
devotion. The record of your active, earnest life will ever 
remain a part of your country's history. 

In words eloquent and impressive the pastor of his church, 
concluding the funeral services at the home of our colleague, in 
the hearing of thousands of his friends, thus spoke: 

Lastly, I would speak of him as a believer. In youth he owned his 
faith in Christ, and in old age he shrank not when he came to the valley 
of death's shade; and after all, as he believed, death is but a shadow. He 
adopted Whittier's words— 

"On easy terms with law and fate. 
For what nmst be I calmly wait, 
And trust the path I can not see- 
That God is good sufficeth me." 
And so he passed away as one long absent from his home who hears 
his father's summons in a foreign land and gladly hastens to obey, ni 
sorrow only for the friends he leaves behind. We dry our tears and give 
him joy. With honor's chaplet long upon his brow, he went away to 
change it for a crown of immortality. 

The curtain falls. Farewell! 



14 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 



Address of Mr. Cummings, of New York. 

Mr. Speaker: Far more than endearing was our departed 
friend to his associates. He had all the lovable qualities so 
characteristic of his Quaker ancestry. Indeed, the spirit of 
William Penn was the light of his existence. It seemed to per- 
meate him, body and soul. His teni]3L'rameiit was as even as 
the temperature of tropical seas and his di.sposition as genial 
as the breezes of summer. He gleaned his friendships silentlj- 
and uncon.sciously. They were a part of his being, and as last- 
ing as his soul it.self. His synijiathies were easih' awakened 
and his genero.sity almo.st proverljial. With him life was a 
quiet stream, winding its way between the hills of adversit}', 
rippling through the meadows of peaceful industry and strict 
integrity, until it reached the boundless ocean of eternity. It 
had no rapids, no cataracts, no great fre.shets. Its banks were 
fringed with flowers, and shaded with elms and maples. He 
had the spirit of a philanthropi.st and the serenit}' of a philoso- 
pher. Forty-four years had he trodden the highways of public 
life in the sujilight of popular favor without encountering storms 
and cyclones. vShowers there were, but only enough to produce 
flowers and add zest to life. Twenty-seven of these forty-four 
years were spent in this House. The service was arduous and 
faithful, but silently and conscientiously performed. 

Mr. Harmer was par excellence the silent man of the House. 
He never ventured into the paths of oratory, but paid the strict- 
est attention to the wants of his constituents. His life work 
was performed in the privacy of the committee room rather 
than on the floor of the House He was a true representative 
of the City of Brotherly Love. He witnessed many an exciting 



Addirss of Mr. Ci(iiiiiii>igs, of A^nc )'o?-k. 15 

scene in our legislative annals, and remained a quiet spectator, 
guided b}' common sense and luiruffled with anger. In his 
Congressional career he sat under the rulings of nine Speakers 
and saw eight Presidents inaugurated. It was probably the 
proudest moment of his life when, as Father of the House, he 
administered the oath to the present occupant of the chair. It 
was his last public duty, performed while standing on the brink 
of the grave. It was a striking exhibition of Philadelphia's 
appreciation of the services of her Congres.sional delegation. 
Three times in succe.s.sion had she supplied Congress with a 
Father of the Hou.se. Talented William D. Kelley had been 
succeeded by cheery and lovable Charles O'Neill, who in his 
turn had given place to his estimable colleague, Alfred C. 
Harmer, and now Harmer in his turn has departed, leaving 
the mantle with another colleague, who has served twenty-tvi'O 
years without a break. 

But, Mr. Speaker, there was one trait about our friend, now 
in the unknown world, that peculiarly endeared him to ex-er}- 
American heart. It was his unswer\nng devotion to his coun- 
try. Placid and undisturbed he heard the fierce di.scussions 
attending the consideration of the "force bills" under the rul- 
ings of those great Speakers from Maine, Thomas B. Reed and 
James G. Blaine. He li.stened to many almost interminable 
tariff debates without showing the lea.st impatience. When the 
very foundations of the Republic were .shaken by the uproar 
attending the seating of Rutherford B. Hayes he remained as 
tranquil as an Indian summer. But his emotions were stirred 
to their inmost depths when war with Spain was declared and 
Liberty' rescued Cuba from the talons of Despotism. It was 
a war for humanity. He recognized the spirit of the age. 
Bj' vote and action he supported the war, straining every 
nerve toward a succe-ssful result. There was no alloy in his 



1 6 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmcr. 

patriotism. Lov^e of country filled his heart more completely 
than any other emotion. 

In one respect our dear friend was unique. Unlike the rest 
of us, he never made a speech, and, unlike many of us, he 
impressed himself upon the legislation of the country. His 
services were varied and wide in scope. Twelve years was he 
a member of the Committee on Naval Affairs; twelve years was 
he a valued worker in the Committee on the Di.strict of Colum- 
bia; four years did he serve on the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs; two )-ears on Coinage, Weights, and Measures; four 
years on Pacific Railroads; two years on Indian Affairs, and 
six years was chairman of the Committee on the Library. 
A.side from these, he served for a .score of years on numerous 
select and minor committees vitally affecting the interests of 
the country. It was while I was a.ssociated with him in the 
Committee on the Library that I first appreciated the extent 
and variety of his services to the nation. Few men have had 
more experience in Congressional life. It was a pleasure to sit 
with him in committee. The spirit of brotherly kindness was 
always present, and the burden of work was ever alle\-iated by 
the sunshine of his presence. 

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Harrier's love of his country was only 
equaled by his love for his family. A more devoted husband 
and a more kind and indulgent father never blessed the earth. 
To them his Io.ss is irreparable. But death has di.scharged him 
from all earthly duties, and naught remains but his memory. 
We shall mi.ss him; his constituents will miss him; the country 
will miss him. May we all meet him in the blest hereafter 
with a con.sciousness of duty as faithfully performed. 



Address of Mr. Grosvenor, of Ohio. 17 



ADDRESS OF Mr, Grosvenor, of Ohio. 

Mr. Speaker: When it was suggested to :ne that upon this 
occasion I should address a few words of eulogy to the House 
upon the memory of our departed colleague, I could not refuse 
to comply, and yet I come with no prepared words, but only to 
contribute a few sentences to this occasion. 

When I came to the Hou.se of Repre.sentatives, in the Forty- 
ninth Congress, I found General Harmer an old, experienced 
member, and I became acquainted with him through availing 
myself of his kindness, his generosity, and his great knowledge 
of the details of the business and affairs of Congress. I knew 
him intimately until the time of his death. One of the pleas- 
antest memories of my career here will be that I had in some 
degree at least his confidence and enjoyed in some degree his 
friendship. 

He had become noted for his silence before I came to Con- 
gress. If he ever made a speech in this House, he made it 
before I came. But he was recognized at all times as a man of 
thorough ability in the matter of mastering the details of legis- 
lation. At least that was true of him until the very close of 
his career. 

In this connection I wish to deflect a moment from discussing 
the character of the deceased to speak of the wonderful effect 
that the policy of the people of Philadelphia has had upon their 
own interests and upon the interests of the country. The 
policy of sending men to Congress for long successive terms of 
service has been adhered to with greater tenacity in the city 
and county of Philadelphia than in any other locality in the 
United States. 

H. Doc. 525 2 



iS Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

I do not suppose that it will t)e claimed tliat all of the men 
who have represented Philadelphia here during the period 
covering the service of many of us were originally men of the 
greatest ability, although some of them were men of distiti- 
guished character when the>- came here, and all of them have 
become men of distinguished ability and character while here, 
so that it has come to be a fact that there is no city in the 
United States that has impressed its own views and interests 
one-half so much upon the legislation of Congress as has the 
city of Philadelphia. I do not know what is the occult method 
by which the people there ascertain in the first place the possi- 
ble capacity of the men they select. But within my knowledge 
none of those men have failed, and it is a remarkable hi.story, 
given b}- the gentleman from New York, that in these succes- 
sive Representatives Philadelphia has had the honor to have 
upon the floor of this House that personage distinguished by 
the friendly but important and conspicuous name of ' ' Father 
of the House." 

At the time I came here Judge Kelley was a member of the 
House, rapidly going into a physical decline. He lasted, I 
believe, for but two Congresses after I came. Judge Kelley 
was a man of remarkable character and ability. I did not 
know him before I came to Congress, but I have doubted 
whether it was absolutely inferable from his characteristics 
that he would become the great leader of a great idea here; 
but he did. 

And while "Charlie O'Neill," as we so fondly called him 
(for everybody loved him), was not a man of strikingly bril- 
liant attainments, yet he became a man of wonderful influence 
here, and no man was more influential in matters pertaining 
to the interests of Philadelphia and of his own State than 
was he. 



Address of Mr. Grosvenor, of Ohio. 19 

And then came General Harmer to this position. Influen- 
tial he certainly was; kind and loving we always recognized 
him to be; distinguished by the confidence that his people had 
in him; and while it is not exactly the proper and necessary 
corollary of the few remarks which I am making, we are still 
satisfied that the star of ascendency in these matters of influ- 
ence and good-fellowship has not set in the sky of Philadel- 
phia's relations to the House of Representatives. It comes in 
large part from the character of the men that they select; it 
comes also from the persi.stent and cordial support that the 
people at home give to their representati\-es here. 

I, too, witnessed the affecting scene at the opening of this 
House of Representatives. I did not know that General Har- 
jrER had said to others what he said to me; but after he had 
taken his seat at the close of the organization of the House, 
when he administered the oath to the Speaker, he said in just a 
word or two, "Good-bye, Grosvenor; yftu will never see me do 
the like of that again." It touched me as I have never been 
affected by the words of any member of the House; for while I 
had not witnessed his greatness in debate, I had recognized his 
influence upon the legislation of the countr5- by his wisdom, by 
his faithfulness, and by his presence here when he \\-as able to 
be here. 

I think there can be no higher testimonial given to any man 
who is a member of the House of Representatives than that 
which was gi\-en to General Harmer by his constituencN- at 
home. I never knew the details of his political conflicts, if he 
had any; but I knew that for that long time he came here cre- 
dentialed bj' the confidence, the loving confidence, of his con- 
stituents. He has gone, and has left behind him a record that 
ought to be studied by the people of the United States and 
understood by them. It is a grand conunentar\- upon the 



20 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

criticisms of public men tliat we hear so much aliout from the 
public press and in the public pulpit and from the public forum 
that a great cit^-, sometimes criticised bitterly in the heat of 
political contests, has sent to this House of Representativ^es a 
colunni of men, a galaxy of men, such as Randall and Kelley 
and Harmer and O'Neill, dead; and I might add the names of 
those who are living. Yet, in all this period of scandal and 
detraction, the faithfulness, the honor, the integrity of that 
cluster of men has never been criticised. It goes to .show that 
the attacks upon the public men of America — the sneers and 
criticisms upon public men — ha^'e in ninety-nine cases out of 
every hundred, when applied to the Congress of the United 
States, been unfair and unjust. I gladly testify my fond 
remembrance and great appreciation of the high character and 
loveliness of the deceased. 



Address of Mr. Adams, of Pennsylvania. 21 



ADDRESS OF MR. ADAMS, OF PENNSYLVANIA. 

Mr. Speaker: A man who for thirty long years retained the 
confidence of the people of his district and held the respect and 
affection of the members of this House needs no eulogy at the 
hands of any man, but so long as this honorable House deems 
it proper to set apart a day for memorial exercises to its 
deceased members, I can not refrain from laying my tribute on 
the bier of my late venerable colleague. Alfred C. Harmer 
was no ordinary man. He belonged to that class of citizens 
who entered public life with the strong determination to do 
what was right and to represent the interests intrusted to his 
care with energy and fidelity. His career was not of accidental 
origin. He entered with a fixed purpo.se to succeed, and his 
untiring energies, supported by a fine physique, so impressed 
the people of Philadelphia that they not only retained his serv- 
ices, but rewarded his conscientious performance of his duties 
by continued promotion. 

Mr. Harmer was first elected to the city council of Phila- 
delphia, next as recorder of deeds, a most responsible office, 
having charge of all the titles to real estate of that city. He 
was elected to the Forty -second Congress and continually 
reelected up to the Fifty-sixth. During all this long period he 
never failed in regular attendance upon the sessions of the 
House, or of giving his strict attention to the questions under 
consideration. No constituent ever had to write him a second 
time to secure attention to his request, and no inter\-iew was 
ever denied an applicant at the Capitol or at his home. Mr. 
Harmer, so far as I know, never addressed the House during 
his long incumbency, but as a committee man, where the real 



22 Life and Character of Alfred C. Hartner. 

work of the session is done, he was most regular in his attend- 
ance and took an active part in formulating legislation. 

His record as a legislator bears no taint. During his service 
Congress was be.smirclied with the Credit Mobilier and star-route 
frauds; but no man dare associate the name of Peun.sylvania's 
Representative with these corruptions. During his term of 
service he had as colleagues Thaddeus Stevens, James K. 
Moorhead, Edward McPherson, and our still venerable member, 
Galusha A. Grow; Representatives Morrill of Vermont, Dawes 
of Ma.ssachtisetts, Logan of Illinois, Windom of Minnesota, 
Conkling of New York, Garfield of Ohio, and Holman of 
Indiana. With these men he labored for all the great acts of 
legislation which reconstructed our country after the rebellion 
and the great financial questions that preserved the monetary 
integrity of our Reiniblic. 

It was in his private life and actions that he gained so great 
a hold on his constituents. He loved to see others prosperous 
and happy. His generous heart had no place for enmity. He 
was a friend of the poor, their defender and protector, and 
to-day many a happy household dates its prosperity from some 
kind act of Mr. H.\rmer. His agreeable and genial manners 
drew around him swarms of ardent friends and admirers, adding 
largely to his poptilarity as a man of influence and as a poli- 
tician. His lifelong wish was gratified. He died in harness. 
His last official act was to administer as Father of the House 
the oath of office to the new Speaker. After this he failed 
rapidly in health, and died leaving an example to be added to 
that of those distinguished .sons of Penn.sylvania, Kelley, Ran- 
dall, and O'Neill, who. like him, had outlived all their col- 
leagues, and left long records of usefulness and ability to their 
citv and State. 



Address of Mr. McClcary, of Minnesota. 23 



ADDRESS OF Mr. McCLEARY, OF MINNESOTA. 

Mr. Speaker: The man who for nearly thirtj' years held 
the confidence and affection of an intelligent Philadelphia con- 
stituency, as did General Hakmer, has no need of eulogy 
from us. 

Nevertheless, such exercises as these are eminently fitting 
and proper. It is well that when a man lays down the bur- 
den of great public duties that he has faithfully carried for 
many years in the general interest, his colleagues should su.s- 
pend for a time the public .service and do honor to the departed. 
It is due to the dead and well for the living. To the dead it 
is in the nature of a reward for faithful .service; to the living 
it is an inspiration to continue "faithful to the end." 

As Hawthorne teaches in his story of The Great Stone Face, 
we become like that which we habitually or frequently con- 
template. How proper, then, that a useful and honorable life 
should at its clo.se have for a time our respectful and S3-nipa- 
thetic consideration. As Irving .says: "The natural effect of 
sorrow over the dead is to refine and elevate the mind. 

Mr. Speaker, when I first entered this body at the first ses- 
sion of the P'ifty-third Congress, I was fortunate in being 
seated near General Harmer. He was early pointed out to 
nie as one among tho.se longest in service in the Hou.se. As 
such he was to us ' ' new members ' ' an object of interest and 
a subject of .study. 

He was so quiet and retiring that I thought for a while 
that he was reser\'ed and proud. But ere long I discovered 
my mistake. I soon found that he was a man characterized 
by works rather than words, by kindly deeds rather than by 
protestations of regard. 



24 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

I learned to go to him for counsel, and I always received 
it. I found him at all times gentle and generous, courtly and 
kindly, patient and patriotic — a man of conscience and of cour- 
age. What more can I say? What more could be said of 
anyone? 

Those of his loved ones who are left behind are blessed by 
the fragrance of his memory. And they can surely find com- 
fort in the words of Whittier — 

Life is ever Lord of Death, 

And Love can never lose its own. 



Address of Mr. White, of North Carolina. 25 



Address of Mr, White, of North Carolina. 

Mr. Speaker: There are two periods in tlie life of every 
public man which provoke attention. If he has enemies cr 
opponents, when he starts out in his public career, seeking 
high office and public trust, the wor.st possible pha.se of his 
character is ventilated to the world. The tongues of his 
maligners will run a rapid pace. The defamer of character 
will know no limit. 

The other important period of a public man's life is when 
his work is done, death claims its own, and he shuffles off 
this mortal coil and goes hence. It is then that the virtues of 
the man's life are portrayed. It is then that his morals are 
held up in a glittering galaxy of beaut)'. It is pleasing to 
note, however, that neither one of the.se periods will apply to 
the gentleman whom we are eulogizing here to-day. His 
character and life were so pure, his deportment was so upright, 
his deeds were so honorable, that the vilest enemy, if such he 
had, dared not raise his voice in calumny or slander against 
him, even though the would-be office seeker desired the 
position held by Alfred C. Harmer. 

In the second period to which I have referred, it is not at 
all necessary for those of us who survive him on this floor to 
say one word in the least exaggerated term. Perhaps in all 
that we say we shall not be able to state the half that is due 
the man and the life that he led. It is true that his voice 
was not frequently heard, perhaps not at all, in speech making 
in this Hall. It is true also that a little brooklet that flows 
down the hillside is noisy ; whether profitable or not remains 
for investigation. It is true that the great placid rivers of the 
country move with silent majesty to the bosom of the broad 



26 Life and Chaiacii'7- of Alfred C. Harmcr. 

ocean, bearing commerce for the utility of nations. The latter 
applies to Mr. Harmer. He was not noisy, but he was 
grand, useful, noble, in every instance, and in every purpose 
strictly honest. 

Nations, like individuals, can never properly appreciate the 
services of their great men until they have bten called hence 
never to return. Man breathes freely the pure air with which 
he is .surrounded, and never thinks of the blessings and life- 
giving qualities it carries until the supply is shut off. We 
look as a matter of course for the cherished loved ones in our 
homes day after day as we return from our toil, but never 
realize how dear they are until there is a vacant chair at the 
fireside or at the table. So with nations. We are accustomed 
to receive the re.sults of great men's public lives and look upon 
them as matters of right, never properly appreciating the true 
value of such individuals until we follow them for the last 
time to their final resting place. We have in the person of the 
late Hon. Alkred C. H.\rmer an example in que.stion. For 
over twenty-seven years his valuable counsel was uustiutingly 
given the nation as a member of this House. No man born 
■ and reared as was Mr. H.\rmer, in the immediate district 
which he so continuously and so faithfully represented, could 
hold such a position for the length of time that he was here 
without having in him the true qualities of honesty, purity of 
character, faithfulness to friends, unalloying and unswervnng 
fidelity in the discharge of every public trust placed in his 
hands. 

One has .said that a prophet is not without honor save in his 
own country. This adage has been reversed in the case of 
Mr. Harmer, for nowhere on earth was he honored and 
respected more than in the midst of those whom he knew 
longest and knew best. 



Address of M?-. While, of North Caroli)ia. 27 

1 shall not attempt to deal with the inner circle of his life, 
except to say, in passing, that he must have been devoted to 
all who were near and dear to him, and loved by all who had 
the honor of his personal acquaintance. The nation loses 
perhaps one of its oldest and wisest counselors and lawmakers, 
his native vState one of its most devoted and trusted statesmen, 
his district its ideal representative, and friends and acqtiaint- 
ances a man of honor and integrity, whose life is worthy the 
emulation of the young. 

With him wrong was a foe; with him right was a duty. He 
sought to know the right, and always had the courage to do 
the right; and at the close of a long, eventful, and useftil life 
he was doubtless prepared to receive the divine blessing, ' ' Well 
done, good and faithful .servant," and, looking across the 
river, to present to the great and good One who rules us all 
the sheaves of a long and well-spent life, and to receive the 
benediction of a loving Father in heaven. 



Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 



Address of Mr, McAleer, of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Speaker: We have assembled to-day to express our 
appreciation of the Hfe, service, and character of our late dis- 
tinguished colleague, Mr. Alfred C. H.\rmer, of PennsN-l- 
vania. 

Mr. Harmer was born in Gerinantown, a .suburb of Phila- 
delphia, his whole life ha\4ng been spent in that .section. The 
esteem in which he was held was shown b^- the people among 
whom he cast his lot repeated!}- electing him to positions of 
responsibilit},- and trust previous to his election to Congress. 
Time after time were his ser\-ices recognized, and for a period 
of twent)--eight 3^ears he worked with initiring zeal and an 
interest that ijever flagged, gaining, as did his illustrious col- 
leagues, Kelley, Randall, and O'Neill, through length of serv- 
ice, the proud title of Father of the House. 

Though not an orator, his marked ability was shown in 
another direction — in the committee room. There his influ- 
ence, through knowledge of legislation, made itself felt and 
was quick to be recognized. In fact, his abilit}- was so well 
known I hardly think it requires further mention, it being 
conceded that Mr. Harmer was one of the most faithful 
Representatives Pennsylvania ever sent to Congress. He 
commanded the respect, love, and confidence of the people — a 
man of magnificent presence, of scrupulous integrity, and 
■of marked strength of mind and will, and, at the same time, 
of rare kindness and gentleness of manner. This same gen- 
tleness always characterized him in all his relations of life. 
He loved his home and family with an luidying love, and 
often in conversation has he told me of the great interest his 



Address of Mr. McAleer, of Pennsylvania. 29 

beloved wife, took in his work and the assistance she had 
given him. In the death of Mr. Hakmer his city, his State, 
and the nation have lost a most efficient and patriotic public 
servant, a man whose good deeds will live long in the hearts 
of a grateful people. To his family we tender our sincere 
sympathy in their irreparable loss, and, although he has gone 
from us, we shall cherish his memory as that of a true and 
trusted friend, and look forward to that union in the great 
hereafter. 

In the poet's words, "What a world were this — how unen- 
durable its weight — if they whom death sundered did not meet 
again. " 



30 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 



Address of Mr. De Armond, of Missouri. 

Mr. Speaker: The tribute of respect which the House pays 
to-day to the memory of Alfred C. Harmer is more than 
formal. He had been here so long-, he had known .so many 
Representatives, he was known of so many, that it is but 
natural and proper, now that he has gone, that .some should 
speak feelingl}- and sincerely of his virtues and his services. 

How lor.g he was here, how many he knew, of how much 
of the history of our country were he and his performances 
a part I How man\' great men came here and went hence 
in the long time from his entrance to his departure .' How 
many stirring scenes did he witness here ! And while a quiet 
man himself, in his own way and effectively he had his part 
in all of them. As remarked b>- one of his colleagues and 
by the eloquent gentleman from New York [Mr. Cunnnings] , 
he was not a maker of speeches; he was a performer of deeds. 
He worked and did not talk. 

Mr. Speaker, no one remembers General H.armer except 
in a kindly way. His course of conduct and his ser\-ice in 
the Hou.se of Representatives produced none of the heart- 
burnings or annoyances or wounds that so frequently come 
to us in our public service here. He did nothing to hurt or 
offend anyone. Believing in transacting the business intrusted 
to him by his people and by his countr\- quietly and ])lainly 
upon the floor and in committee, rather than by engaging in 
the gladiatorial contests of debaters in the House, in all his 
long career he escaped the antagonisms, the discomfitures, 
and the hard feelings which come to so many members who 
pursue a different course. He went through the man\- phases 



Address of Mr. Dc Armond, of Missouri. 31 

of the warfare upon the floor of the House without encounter- 
in. the obstacles which many others meet, and came from 
e;erv engagement scathless und serene. He dealt no blows; 
he foster:d no animosities: he received no hurts for he gav 
none, and succeeded in securing, as he mented, the good wd 
and affection of his associates here. A pleasant career and 
a satisfactory one, Mr. Speaker, must we pronounce that of 
our lamented friend, when we ;ake into con.siderat.on all the 
circumstances connected with his life and service. 

That he accomplished much of benefit to his people I have 
not the slightest doubt. The continued confidence of his 
constituents, and their love for him; his election time and 
Unie again, for fourteen successive terms to this body-how 
complimentarv, how honorable it all appears! Though elec ed 
from the same territory, in the mam, he was not so often 
elected bv the same coustituency-the sons followed th 
fathers in doing hnn honor. The Unshaken confidence of 
two generations of electors is a noble tribute to his worth and 
fitness for the place; to his steadfastness, his truth and his 
fidelitv. His people were true to him to the end of life, 
because to life's end he was true to them. 

The opinion prevails in many quarters that the public 1. 
■ disposed to be harsh and unjust m its critici-sms and judg- 
ment of the public services rendered by those elected to public 
office, and in its treatment of public servants. I am of the 
opinion, Mr. Speaker, that the reverse of that is absolutely 
true It seems to me that the great body politic is kind, 
charitable and patient m deahng with those occupying posi- 
tions of trust and responsibility where there is good reason 
to believe that they are entitled to favorable consideration. 
When the public finds a man to be faithful-one who can be 
depended upon in emergencies, who can be trusted in public 



32 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harme> . 

life — there is a tendency on the part of the pubhc to continue 
his incumbency; and it is not singular that sometimes, as in 
the case of General Harmer, there should grow up in the 
public mind a strong affection for him and a generous dis- 
position to continue his services as long as possible. 

The career of our deceased colleague is an evidence of the 
truth of the statement I have just made. His ser\-ice in the 
House of Representatives affords a most .striking illustration 
of the fact I hav'e suggested. In the beginning of liis official 
career, men of his age and generation elected him to the re- 
sponsible position then intru.sted to him. The}- continued to 
do so as they grew older, and, when the)- passed awa>- from 
the .scene of action, their sons and grandsons, who had grown 
to appreciate his .services, recognized his worth and his char- 
acter and emulated their fathers in sending him again and 
again to Congress, supporting their fathers' friend faithfully 
until he was gathered to his own fathers, at the end of a long 
career of honorable and u.seful public service. 

Man)' men occupying positions in public life, who must at 
stated periods go before the people for their support and re- 
election, are forced into aggressiveness; they must give and 
take blows in the open arena, and often go down in the storm 
of political battle. Many of them must retire woimded in the 
fray. But the steady support of the constituents of our deceased 
friend, their trust in him, and his long and efficient career 
here, accomplished silently, kindly, sweetly, constitute a double 
tribute — a tribute to them, a tribute to him. 

He was the Father of the House — the third Father of the 
House from the same city of Philadelphia. In .speaking to his 
memory I express the hope of all, I think, that the succeeding 
Father of the House, al.so from that great city, the courteous 
gentleman who first addressed the House upon this occasion, 



Address of Mr. De Armotid, of Missouri. 33 

may long be spared to render service to his people and to his 
country. 

Mr. Speaker, as we pause to-day to pay our tribute of respect 
to the friend that is gone, there come to us .sentiipents and 
feelings beyond our power to express or control. How little 
life is, after all ! There comes to us the full appreciation of 
the fact that in this arena, as in all the battle of life, we must 
encounter obstacles on everj^ hand whenever we strive to ac- 
complish anything. We appreciate more clearly the fact that 
there are many shortcomings, many vain endeavors, many 
mistakes in the short period allotted to us for the performance 
of life's duties ; and then comes the end for each of us, in turn, 
of all things temporal, and then the limitless future of another 
life or the unending doom of nothingness — extinction. Into 
the future none can peer .save with the eye of faith. Of the 
myriads gone hence we have no tidings from mortal lips. They 
are in that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler 
returns. 

Our friend performed well his allotted tasks here. He was 
gentleness, modesty, and kindness personified. Having lived 
graciously, honestly, gently, and kindly, he entered the portals 
of the unknown country without doubt and without fear; and 
we who remain behind fondly cherish his memory, and kindly, 
lovingly, trustfully hope that in a higher and better existence 
his noble spirit may expand and triiunph in achievements far 
beyond the reach of mortals in this mortal existence. 
H. Doc. 525 3 



34 i^ifi-' ^f'id Charactei' of Alfred C. Harmer. 



Address of Mr, Otey, of Virginia. 

Mr. Speaker: Alfred C. Harmer is gone to us, it is true; 
but in the light we can not see, he lives the life that never dies. 

Seldom is it that any legislative body mourns the lo.ss of one 
so mature in its service, so useful in its labors, .so fearless amid 
its turmoils, so gentle and kind amid its discords; seldom one 
with a record so spotless, a character so pure, an experience so 
ripe, one so generally known, respected, and beloved; seldom, 
too, one whose public career was so extended, and whose pres- 
ence produced such fragrance, whose absence created such void. 

My remembrance of him was fir.st a.s the " Father of the 
House," standing alone before the first Speaker under whom 
it was my privilege to serve in this body, as he swore in that 
exalted officer, in the discharge of which duty his gentleness of 
manner gave assurance of a " kindlier half to the human heart 
which kindly deeds might reach. ' ' 

My la.st remembrance of him was as he presided over a com- 
mittee of this body of which I was an humble member, impress- 
ing me that his influence was like a gentle tide, making life 
more pure as it lifted the .soul above the sordid problems of life. 

My acquaintance with him was incidental; by no means inti- 
mate; and far be it from me to attempt any portraj'al of his 
life and character. I knew him only to discern that the life of 
such a man made life worth living and that the world was bet- 
ter for his having lived. He was embalmed in the imiermost 
shrines of the hearts of those who knew him best, and the 
honors crowded on him were purchased only with merit. His 
position, whether high or low, was ever dignified by his good 
deeds and graced by the fruit of his virtues. As I saw him, 
and as I knew him, his life reflected the tints of heaven's own 



Address of Mr. Otcy. of J'irginia. 35 

light, being clothed in the pure white garment of truth, that 
effluence of the divine ray which shed light on the paths he 
pursued. 

His great heart was like an exhaustless urn, pouring forth 
never-ending love, flooding his long and useful days as they 
rolled nearer and nearer to shine in the beyond. 

He was possessed of a governed mind, which had no thought 
but good, and his self-restraint flowed clear in the tide, widen- 
ing the waves of peace, good will, and truth. 

He was no flatterer, and as an honest man despised the slime ' 

of insincerity. 

He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, 
Or Jove for 's power to thunder. 

Silent in his own praise, he gave freely to others just merit 
and took none from them that was their own. 

His courteous demeanor and gentlemanly bearing paralyzed 
malice and disarmed resentment. 

His wisdom saw and seized right, which knowledge ofttimes 
feared to own. 

Wise in counsel, modest in manner, constant in principle, im- 
partial in method, he was just in judgment. He governed his 
lips as palace doors, and pure and polished were the words that 
passed their portals. 

The lesson of his life taught that here all was naught, and 
that though we weep with those who weep, yet it is not the 
room we love, but the inmate; not the broken shell, but the 
pearl within. The daily walk of Alfred C. Harmer absolved 
a fault and helped a virtue grow. He dared the rugged road 
of right, and while pursuing perilous paths he lived to find 
easier ascent and lighter loads till he reached the twin sister 
peaks of Life and Death, around whose chilling snows the 
gilded clouds were painted in the warmer colors of love. 



36 Life and Character of Alfred C. Hatnier. 

The cares of anxious days are past to him; and his sun sank 
slowly as each parting ray gleamed through the clouds of silent 
sadness, and he dreamed undreamed the tale untold and reached 
the day that knew only eternal noon. 

We are here to drop a tear and to embalm his memory with 
our love; to plant a flower in his honor whose fragrance may 
reach those who were so near and dear to him. I say to them, 
"Alfred C. Harmer, whom you call dead, sleeps well, and 
lives and loves you. ' ' 



Address of Mr. Meyer, of Louisiana. 37 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Meyer, of Louisiana. 

Mr. Speaker: I rise for the purpose of joining in the 
tribute so well and fitl>- rendered b\- others to the memory 
of the late Alfred C. Harmer, of Pennsylvania. I have 
known him well during ten years of mutual association as 
a member of this body, and to know Mr. Harmer well 
was to hold him in esteem and respect. 

Mr. Harmer's term of service began on the 4th of March, 
187 1, long before I entered this body. With the exception 
of the Forty-fourth Congress, Mr. Harmer steadily repre- 
sented the great State of Pennsylvania, and especially the 
city of Philadelphia, of which he was a citizen. It is no 
common honor to be thus chosen to represent a city which 
in the infancj' of our Republic was its national capital, the 
city where the Continental Congress first met, where our 
Independence was proclaimed, and where our Federal Consti- 
tution was framed by the patriots of 1789. This high honor 
was enhanced by the growth of this city in population, 
wealth, educational institutions, commerce, and the arts which 
have contributed .so greatly to our national development. 
That in a city so important and so fertile in men of talent 
and force Mr. Harmer should be chosen and so long re- 
tained in the public service as he was, is a fact that is 
more impressive than a costly monument would be, or any 
words of eulogy that I could utter. 

Nothing less than high qualities of personal integrity, 
fidelity, and business efficienc\- could have gained for him 
such a steady and unwavering support from those who knew 
him best and were most competenL to estimate his value. 



38 Life ayid Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

It is creditable to the city of Philadelphia that, probably 
more than any other great center of population, she has 
shown a marked disposition to retain in her service in this 
Hall Representatives of tried efficiency and fidelity. It is 
a striking proof of what I say that two of her Represent- 
atives ha\'e been lately known successively as the ' ' Father 
of the House," a term given to the oldest member in con- 
tinuous service. I am free to .say that in setting this hon- 
orable example this great citj' has sacrificed none of her 
important interests in our legislation, but has, on the con- 
trary, promoted those interests and also the interests and 
influence of the whole Commonwealth to which they belong. 

The year 1871, when Mr. Harmer entered the House of 
Representatives, was an important period in our history. 
Among his associates on the State delegation was the Hon. 
William D. Kelley, a gentleman of uncommon indu.stry, 
ability, and influence; Mr. Leonard Myers, of Philadelphia, 
who also rendered long and efficient service; and that grand 
patriot and statesman, Samuel J. Randall. All these have 
passed away except Mr. Myers. In the same House we find 
the honored names of James G. Blaine, Michael C. Kerr, 
George W. McCrary, James B. Beck, William P. Frye, Eugene 
Hale, Henry L. Dawes, Samuel S. Cox, James A. Garfield, 
Charles Foster, Luke P. Poland, and Jeremiah M. Rusk — all 
active and forceful men in those stirring times. Only two 
or three of the.se illu,strious men survive, and to speak of 
them all now is to recall a past generation. Between that 
and the present epoch Mr. Harmer was, up to the other 
day, a connecting link. • 

Mr. Harmer was not a lawyer by profession, nor did he 
possess .special oratorical gifts. He was a merchant and a busi- 
ness man, and as such amply qualified to represent a great 



Address of Mr. Meyer, of Louisiana. 39 

commercial and manufacturing center. He was here in a 
period of unusual party and sectional bitterness; but, while a 
strong party man, he was personally devoid of acrimony, and 
he aroused no animosities. In this way, following the natural 
bent of a kindly, fair, and ju.st disposition, he was able to 
secure an appreciati\'e consideration for the business interests 
which he undertook to champion. I think that I may freely 
assert that he never made an enemy on either side of this 
House, and that he enjoyed an uncommon measure of its good 
will and confidence. There was no one whom he could not 
freely approach in matters of public business, and no one to 
whom he in turn would have refu.sed a fair hearing and just 
consideration. His industry, punctuality, and attention to his 
duties were not confined to his own city and State. They 
embraced the Union and everj' part of it. 

In a period of party strife and undue acrimony iu debate, 
and probabh- an over-tendenc\' to personal conflicts and impu- 
tations, I consider it a fortunate thing for the Hou.se to possess 
a body of members, like Mr. Harmer, who.se moderation, 
good sense, and modest}' serve to compo.se strife and pave the 
road for judicious and patriotic determinations. The sen.sible 
and fair member of this Hou.se, wherever he may sit, is as apt 
to wield a good and great influence as the man who exceeds 
him in oratory-. 

It is well known here that a very large part of the most 
effective and valuable work of a member consists in committee 
work, either as a member of a committee or in presenting to 
other committees matters .specially affecting the Representa- 
tive's con.stituents. This service is rarely ostentatious, but it is 
often laborious, and requires industry, order, tact, and per.sonal 
influence in order to accomplish the best results. During the 
last ten years General Harmer has served upon the Committees 



40 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

upon Indian Affairs, Naval Affairs, Foreign Affairs, the 
Library, and the District of Columbia. All these were very 
important committees. The last two were those on which 
General Harmer last .served, and of late years their duties 
have become much more varied and difficult. Congress is, in 
fact, the government of this Di.strict. This community is enti- 
tled to fair and generous treatment, and the city of Washington 
has always received it at the hands of our deceased associate. 

General Harmer never neglected his public work, but he 
was of a marked social turn. He enjoyed the .society of his 
family and his friends. In his later life he spent many of his 
summer hours at Brigantine Beach, a place on the New Jersey 
coa.st that he was instrumental in developing and building up, 
and where he enjoyed in a quiet, simple way the outdoor life 
and relaxation in which he was to all a mo.st agreeable, cheer- 
ful, and hospitable companion. 

In this brief and hasty sketch I have endeavored to portray 
the public life of one who for many years pursued the path of 
steady and unostentatious duty in this Hall. His memory will 
abide with us and will be remembered by those of us who were 
his fellow-members with the aft'ection and respect due to his 
many virtues, his un\-arying courtesy and kindness, and the 
personal worth which characterized him both in private and 
public life. He has left us forever, it is true, but he has left 
us nothing to forgive, nothing that we could wish to forget, 
nothing in which his State, his constituents, and family may 
not take a just and honorable pride. He was fit to represent a 
great Commonwealth such as that which honored and trusted 
him to his latest hours on earth. 



Address of Mr. Morrell, of Pe7insylvania. 41 



Address of, Mr. Morrell, of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Speaker: I feel sure that the members present who 
have come to honor the memory of their departed brother and 
friend, the late Hon. Alfred C. Harmer, will accord to me 
.some degree of indulgence, realizing as they must the ordeal 
through which I have been compelled to pass; first, in present- 
ing myself to the voters of the Fifth Pennsylvania Congres- 
sional district as a successor to a man held in the esteem in 
which they held the late Hon. A. C. Harmer, and, having 
been elected, in pre.senting myself to be sworn in at the bar of 
this House as the substitute in this honorable bod}^ of a man 
who had won so man)- friends through the love of which he 
inspired during the many years he was a member of this House 
by his sincerity of purpose and faithful discharge of duty. 
As they loved him, so, I trust, they will deal gently with my 
shortcomings. 

The late Hon. Alfred C. Harmer belonged to a group of 
statesmen coming from the great Keystone State, Pennsyh'a- 
nia, who.se record for length of ser\'ice and services performed 
can not be equaled by any State in the Union. I refer to the 
Hon. William D. Kelley and the Hon. Charles O'Neill, who 
each served fifteen terms in Congress: to the Hon. Samuel J. 
Randall, and to our late lamented friend, who each served 
fourteen terms in Congress, and to the Hon. Galusha A. Grow 
and the Hon. H. H. Bingham, who, thank God, are here with 
us, strong in health and strong in their usefulness in the coun- 
cils of this body. 

It has been well said that it is not greatness simply to 
have held important trusts; greatness lies in the faithful per- 
formance of all duties committed to us. That man is not 



42 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

truly great who does not display homely, honest nobility in 
the small affairs of life in his daily intercourse with his 
fellow-man. 

The great State of Pennsylvania, greatest in the Union in 
its history and resources, found in him a son well adapted 
to fill the measure of a representative of all the varied ele- 
ments of her greatness and power. 

The distingui.shed services of the late Hon. A. C. H.\rmer 
on the important committees of this House, which number 
among their members so many efficient n;en, are sufficient to 
stamp him as a man far above ordinary attainments and ability. 
He may not have possessed to the same degree as some others 
the ability to dazzle the public with bursts of oratory, sallies of 
wit, or biting sarcasm; but in soundness of judgment, and in 
thorough grasp of the subjects of legislation, and in patient 
and conscientious discharge of duty, he stands, and deserves 
to stand, in the foremost rank. A career so long and so useful 
in the councils of the nation is a monument to his integrity 
as a man and to his ability as a statesman. 

The personahty of the late Hon. Alfred C. Harmer, not 
only in his own district, but wherever he chanced to go, won 
for him friends. His kindly bearing and nobility of character 
were speedily recognized b>- all with whom he came into 
intimate contact. To .say that he was beloved by all who 
knew him is but to feebly express the feelings that were 
entertained toward him. 

In his last years of service he was known as the ' ' Father 
of the House." He was indeed a father to his constituents 
in the be.st sense of the word, for it was his constant aim to 
care for the fatherless children and widows and all who were 
desolate and oppressed. He was not a politician in the general 
acceptance of the term; he never posed as such before either 



Address of Mr. Morrcll, of Permsylvania. 43 

his constituents or tliis body, of which he was a member for 
so many years. Just as his path was straight, so were his 
doings as bright as the noonday sun. Elected by the people, 
he was of the people and for the people, and his name in his 
own district was a household word. To one class abo\-e all 
others was he especially a friend. I refer to the old soldier, 
his widow and orphan. None of those, or none of those that 
belonged to them, ever appealed to the late Hon. Alfred 
C. H.^RMER in vain. 

Above all else on this earth, the Hon. Alfred C. Harmer 
loved his home. There it was he found his greatest happi- 
ness. Can it, then, be wondered that the loss to his widow 
and children is what it is? We can extend to them sym- 
pathy, but only time and that God who is the father of the 
widow and the fatherless can succeed in His bountiful mercy 
in assuaging the irreparable loss. It was they who realized 
the sacrifices made, the truth of the statement, "Greater 
love hath no man than this : that he lay down his life for 
his friend." 

So it was that when the death of this statesman and friend 
became known it was a sorrow that touched all classes and 
conditions of men; and not the men only, but the women and 
the children joined with their husbands and fathers hi an 
expression of the loss they had sustained, which lamentation 
was as sincere as it was outspoken, for "Out of the fullness 
of the heart the mouth speaketh." 

As I said on a late occasion in Philadelphia, in vLsiting the 
different portions of the Fifth Pennsylvania district which my 
campaign necessitated, I was often touched beyond measure 
and at the same time brought to realize most forcibly the 
largeness of the place which I was endeavoring to fill. While 
of course generalities were always indulged in regarding the 



44 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

capabilities and kindliness of the late Hon. A. C. Harmkk, 
yet here and there this man or that man, perhaps the hum- 
blest in the assemblage, would take me aside and say, "Do 
for us as Al. Harmer did and you will be all right; do not 
forget us people. ' ' In fact it reminded me of being called 
home on the occasion of the sudden death of a near friend or 
relative. Upon opening the front door one perhaps sees the 
familiar hat or coat still hanging on the rack, and turning 
aside into room after room first one familar object and then 
another greets one. In this room perhaps a book open at some 
favorite passage; in another a bunch of flowers of the \-ariet\- 
especialh" loved, or some pictures on the wall representing 
the favorite sport or pastime, and .so on until is reached the 
room familiarh' called "the study." There is the writing 
table, there are books .spread out and arranged, the letter 
half written, the ink scarcely dry on the pen, and there the 
easy-chair in front of the fire, in which at times a few 
minutes would be snatched from labor. 

And .so it was as I journeyed through the Fifth Pennsjdvania 
district. Everywhere there was .something to remind me of 
the late Hon. Alfred C. H.\rmer. And just as I likened 
the club bearing his name to the ea.sy chair before the fire, so 
I might liken his life here to the writing table heaped up on 
the one .side with documents framed for the benefit of the 
people of the country and his district, on the other .side with 
documents acknowledging services rendered. 

His last official act in this House was to administer the oath 
of office to the present Speaker, the Hon. David B. Henderson, 
a dutN- which he performed when scarcely able to make his 
wa>- to the desk and raise his arm. Performing this duty, as 
he did, contrary to the advice of his physician, it might be 
said that he was "faithful unto death." What a glorious 



Address of Mr. Morrell, of Pennsylvania. 45 

career, what au ending to a long life — one to be envied by 
the rich or the poor. At the last moment we find him, hav- 
ing completed his threescore years, full of honors, mourned 
by all who knew him. Can we not, therefore, feel confident 
that the same voice which brought him the last summons 
went on to say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; 
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 



46 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Sibley, of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Speaker: It is indeed a privilege to join with my fellovv- 
nienibers in offering tributes to the memory of Alfred C. 
Harmer. He was not alone an honor to our Commonwealth 
and our country, but an honor as well to the whole brotherhood 
of man. 

In the Fifty-third Congress, through my close personal rela- 
tions with the Hon. \V. H. Hatch, of Missouri, I came to 
know and enjoy those traits of character which endeared Mr. 
Harmer to his associates. Alfred C. Harmer and W. H. 
Hatch were conspicuous for their loyalty to party principles, 
the one a Republican and the other a Democrat, and yet be- 
tween them there existed a friendship such as is too rarely 
found among men. They were as Jonathan and David in their 
union. 

Never had I known two men in many points of resemblance 
so much alike, both giants physically and richly endowed men- 
tally; but, bej-oud all else, endowed with large, warm hearts 
and clear moral perceptions. Personallj' they feared nothing 
in this world except to do a mean action. In battle fearless, 
bold, and rugged, always ready for the rough encounters of 
daily life, and yet to the last preserving those kindly instincts 
and human sympathies which were as easily awakened as those 
of the gentlest woman, producing such characters through the 
blending of loftiness and simplicity as we by common consent 
a.scribe to tho.se knights of old who graced the round table of 
King Arthur. Mr. Hatch, in the ab.sence of Mr. H.\rmer, has 
talked to me for hours about his friend H.\rmer and his rare 
virtues, and, as a mutual friend of both, Harmer would tell 
me how the world was blessed bv a man like Hatch. 



Address of 3/ r. Sibley, of Pennsylvania. 47 

Mr. Speaker, from this mundane sphere of activity both have 
passed to that higher sphere, to that truer, better hfe, where 
we may fondly trust the union between such friends is now 
complete and abiding. In these few words I join again these 
friends, for together I learned to know, respect, and love them. 
What new member of Congress that was not indebted to them 
for kindly words of counsel and for kindly acts performed? 
They lived not to themselves alone, but they lived for others; 
and many lives were brighter, many homes and hearts were 
blessed, because of the loft>- purposes, the noble impulses of 
these two men. 

Alfred C. Harmer died the "Father of the House." 
W. H. Hatch died a private citizen, after conspicuous public 
service of many years. No eulogies upon Mr. Hatch ha\-e, 
consequently, been pre.sented in this Chamber, but on this occa- 
sion I trust it is not amiss to thus refer to one of Mr. Har- 
mer 's friends and colleagues who first gave me to know the 
grand traits of character of Alfred C. Harmer, who, through 
an innate modesty and natural reserve, did not reveal alto- 
gether to the casual observer his strength, his nobility, and his 
real worth as a private citizen and a legislator. 

The memory of Alfred C. Harmer will forever be cher- 
ished by those who, like us, have had the opportunity to 
know his real value to his friends, his Commonwealth, and his 
country. 

The Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Lovering). As a further 
mark of respect, and in accordance with the resolution pre- 
viously adopted, the House now stands adjourned until 12 
o'clock on Monday next. 

And accordingly (at 2 o'clock and 25 minutes p. m.) the 
House adjourned. 



48 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harnier. 

February ii, 1901. 
message from the senate. 

The committee informally rose. 

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cunningham, one of 
its clerks, announced that the Senate had passed the following 
resolutions: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the an- 
nouncement of the death of Hon. Alfred C. Harmer, late a Repre- 
sentative from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolred, That the business of the Senate be now suspended in order 
that fitting tribute be paid to his memory. 

Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect the Senate, at the 
conclusion of these ceremonies, do adjourn. 



Proceedings in the Senate, 

March 7, 1900. 
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. \\', J. 
Browning, its Chief Clerk, communicated to the Senate the 
inteUigence of the death of Hon. Alfred C. Harmek, late 
a Representative . from the State of Pennsylvania, and trans- 
mitted the resolutions of the House thereon. 

The message also announced the appointment by the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives of a committee on the part of 
the House to take charge of the funeral arrangements. 

Mr. Penrose. I ask the Chair to la>- before the Senate the 
resolutions which ha\-e just been received from the House of 
Representatives. 

The PRE.SIDENT pro tempore. The Chair lays before the 
Senate the resolutions from the House of Representatives, 
which will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows : 

Ix THE House of Representatives, March 7, i<)oo. 

Resolved, That the House has heard with deep regret and profound 
sorrow of the death of the Hon. Alfred C. H.\rmer, for twenty-seven 
years a Representative from the ,State of Penn.sylvania, and the senior 
member of this House in time of continuou.s service. 

Reso/ved. That a connnittee of fifteen members of the House, with 
such members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the 
funeral at Philadelphia, Pa. , and that the necessary expenses attending 
the execution of this order be paid out of the contingent fund of tlie 
House, 

Resolved, That the ,Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and 
directed to take such steps as may be necessary for properlv carrviiig out 
the provisions of this resolution. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the .Senate 
and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The Speaker announced the appointment of Mr. Bingham, Jlr. Adams. 

H. Doc. 525 4 49 



50 Proa'cdi)iffs hi the Senate. 

Mr. Young of Pennsylvania, Mr. Mc.'Meer, Mr. Dalzell, Mr. Wanger, Mr. 
Brosiu-s, Mr. Butler, Mr. McCleary, Mr. Ketcham, Mr. Babcock, Mr. 
Richardson, Mr. Catchings, Mr. Terry, and Jlr. Fitzgerald of Massachu- 
setts as members of said committee on the part of the House. 

Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, in con.seqiience of the an- 
noiincemeiit which has just been made of the action of the 
Hottse of Rejiresentatix-es tipon the death of my late colleague 
in that body, Mr. Harmer, I submit the resolutions which I 
.send to the desk, and ask tnianimotis coii.sent for their imme- 
diate con.si deration. 

The President pro tempore. The Senator from Penn.syl- 
vania stibmits resolutions which will lie read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows : 

Resoh'ed, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the an- 
nouncement of the death of Hon. Alfred C. H.^rmer, late a Representa- 
tive from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That a committee of five Senators be appointed by the Presi- 
dent pro tempore to join the committee appointed on the part of the 
House of Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of 
the deceased. 

Resoh'ed, That the Secretary connnunicate these resolutions to the 
House of Representatives. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 

The President pro tempore. Under the second resolution the 
Chair appoints as the committee on the part of the Senate Mr. 
Penrose, Mr.Ma.son,Mr.Han.sbrough, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Scott. 

Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, as a further mark of respect 
to the memory of my deceased colleague in the House.of Rep- 
resentatives, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 3 o'clock 
and 48 minutes \\ m. ) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, 
Thtir.sday, March 8, 1900, at 12 o'clock m. 



Proceedings in the Senate. 51 

December 10, 1900. 
message from the house. 
A message from the House of Representatives, b}' Mr. H. 
L. Overstreet, one of its clerks, announced that the House 
had passed resolutions connnemorative of the life and public 
services of Hon. Alfred C. H.\rmer, late a Representative 
from the State of Pennsylvania. 

Janu.\kv 29, 1 901. 
Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, I wi.sh to give notice that 
on Saturday, the 9th of February, I will call up the resolu- 
tion of the House of Representatives announcing the death 
of my late colleague in the House, Hon. Alfred C. Harmer, 
and will ask the Senate to suspend its proceedings in order 
that fitting tribute nia>- be paid to his memory. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES, 

February 9, 1901. 

Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, I ask the Chair to lay before 
the Senate the resokitions of the House of Representatives 
relative to the death of the Hon. Alfred C. Harmer, late 
a Representative from the State of Pennsylvania. 

The Presiding Officer (Mr. Gallinger in the chair). The 
Chair lays before the Senate the resolutions indicated by the 
Senator from Pennsylvania, \vhich will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

In the House of Representatives, 

December S, /goo. 

Resolved, That the bu.siness of the House be now suspended that oppor- 
tunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Alfred C. 
H-\RMER, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State 
of Pennsylvania. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished 
public servant, the House, at the conclusion of these memorial proceed- 
ings, shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copv of these reso- 
lutions to the family of the deceased. 

Mr. Penrose. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions which 
I send to the desk. 

The Presiding Officer. The Senator from Penn.sylvania 
submits resolutions, which will be read. 

The Secretary read as follows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announce- 
ment of the death of Hon. Alfred C. Harmer, late a Representative 
from the State of Pennsylvania. 

53 



54 Memorial Addresses. 

Resolved, That the business of the Senate be now suspended, in order 
that fitting tribute be paid to his memory. 

Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect the Senate, at the 
conclusion of these ceremonies, do adjourn. 

The Presiding Officer. The question is on agreeing to 

the resolutions offered by the Senator from Pennsylvania. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 



Address of My. Penrose, of Pennsjlvam'a. 55 



Address of Mr, Penrose, of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. President: Upon these resolutions I desire to address 
a few remarks to the Senate. 

Alfred C. Harimer was born August 8, 1825, in Gernian- 
town, then a township in the county of Philadelphia, now a 
part of the city of Philadelphia. He was educated in the pub- 
lic schools and at the Germantown Academy. He began his 
business training early in life, and before he was 20 years old 
was engaged in business for himself. In a few years he had 
established himself at the head of a large shoe-manufacturing 
concern. In his twenty-first year he was elected a director of 
the public schools of Germantown. Subsequently, the town- 
ship of Germantown having become incorporated as a borough, 
he was chosen by popular vote a member of the new town 
council. 

In 1S55 the city and county of Philadelphia were consoli- 
dated, and in 1856 Mr. Harmek was elected to repre.sent the 
Twenty-second Ward, which included the place of his birth, in 
the popular branch of the city councils. Under the act of con- 
solidation many new and important questions arose concerning 
the municipal government. To the consideration of the.se 
questions he brought his quick powers of observation, .sound 
judgment, patient energy, and native tact and aptitude for busi- 
ness affairs. He was soon recognized by his associates in city 
councils as one of the strong men of the body and as an able 
advocate and faithful defender of the general public interests of 
the rapidly growing city. As a member of councils he took a 
deep interest in the local railway system of the city, and .served 
three years as president of one of the street roads — the Thir- 
teenth and Fifteenth Streets Railway Company. The city of 



56 Life and C/iaiactcr 0/ Alfred C. Harnicr. 

Philadelphia at that time held an interest of $1,400,000 in the 
stock of the North Pennsylvania Railroad, and Mr. Harmer 
was three times elected by the two branches of the city councils 
as a director of the company to represent the investment on the 
part of the city. 

In i860 Mr. Harmer was nominated for the office of recorder 
of deeds for the city of Philadelphia by the People's party, 
which was the successor of the old W'hig part}'. The period 
was one of great political excitement. Two other tickets were 
in the field, nominated by the Democratic party and the Xati\-e 
American party. After a spirited campaign Mr. Harmer was 
elected by a majority of 2,783 votes over both competitors, 
although the Democratic candidate for governor carried the 
city by a majority of 1,886. About the same time he was 
appointed hy the citizens' committee to collect funds in the 
Twenty-.second Ward for raising troops, to which fund he 
contributed largelj- himself. He was a delegate in the same 
year to the national Republican convention in Chicago. He 
fulfilled the duties of the office of recorder with ability, and 
during the same period, the war being in active progress, he 
devoted much of his time and energy to equipping and plac- 
ing soldiers in the field. 

In 1870 Mr. H.\RMER was elected to the Forty- third Congress 
by a large majority to represent the Fifth district of Pennsyl- 
vania, comprising at that time Bucks CouiUy and three wards 
of the cit}' of Philadelphia. He entered upon his long public 
career with the equipment deri\-ed from a considerable experi- 
ence in public affairs. He continued in Congress from 1870 to 
the day of his death, in March, 1900, with the single exception 
of the Fort)'-fourth Congress. His failure to be returned to 
the Fortj'-fourth Congress was the result of an accident. An 
apportionment of the Congres.sioual districts of Pennsylvania 



Address of Mr. Penrose, of Pennsylvania. 57 

had just been made by the legislature. Certain wards were 
taken from the Third Congressional district, then represented 
by Hon. Leonard Myers, and added to the Fifth district, repre- 
sented by Mr. Harmer, thus placing both Mr. Harmer and 
Mr. Myers in the same district. In the convention the dele- 
gates were evenly divided between Mr. Harmer and Mr. Myers. 
Neither would yield, and so both were named in the same hall 
as the regular nominees. The result was that the Democratic 
candidate was elected in the district. 

During the long period of his Congressional services, co\-ering 
thirty years of the most important legislative history of the 
country, Mr. Harmer took an active interest in all measures 
brought before Congress. For many years he was a member 
of the Naval Committee, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and 
the Committee on the Library. He devoted his entire time 
unselfishly to all matters of a public nature, and served with 
rare zeal and fidelity the personal interests of his constituents. 
The district represented by Mr. Harmer at the time of 
liis death contained a population of 334,531. In the district 
are many great and varied industrial concerns and a thrifty, 
intelligent, industrious, and prosperous people. 

Philadelphia has been frequently called the "City of 
Homes." The number of individual houses in Philadelphia 
is about equal to the number of registered voters, indicating 
that each voter hves in his own home or under conditions 
approximating thereto. Probably no great city in the world 
possesses such a general industrial prosperity and such indi- 
vidual well-being, independence, and intelligence. A senti- 
ment of stalwart American patriotism is preeminent among the 
citizens of the birthplace of American liberty. Mr. Harmer's 
district possessed these characteristics to a preeminent degree. 
This splendid district continued to return Mr. Harmer for a 



58 Life and Character of Alfred C. Ha niter. 

period which renders his Congressional service exceptional in 
the history of the country. 

The history of the representation of the city of Philadelphia 
in the House of Representatives is remarkable. Mr. Harjier 
was one of a group of four men in the House, all born in the 
city of Philadelphia, whose combined service reached the 
aggregate of one hundred and twelve years, commencing in 
1861 and ending in 1900. William U. Kelley served twenty- 
nine years continuously; Samuel J. Randall served twenty- 
seven years continuously; Charles O'Neill served twenty-nine 
years, and Mr. Harjier twenty-seven years, each of the two 
latter having suffered defeat for one Congress. All were 
exceptionally strong men. William D. Kelley had a national 
reputation in connection with tariff legislation. Samuel J. 
Randall was respected by the people of Philadelphia regardless 
of party. It is probable that at .some times he could have been 
elected to Congress from any district in Philadelphia. Great 
efforts were made by the business and indu.strial interests of 
Pennsjdvania to retain him in Congress, and for many years 
the legislature of the State preserved his district as he desired 
it, so that his continued return to Congress might not be 
imperiled. 

Chai'les O'Neill was preeminently a useful Representative 
of his district. Mr. Harmer did not excel in those parts 
which catch the public eye. He was not an orator in the 
conunon acceptation of the word, but the records of the many 
Congres.ses in which he ser\-ed as a Representative will show 
that by his votes he at all times exhibited good judgment, 
was true to his party convictions, and he was always patriotic. 
Another Representative, the Hon. Henry H. Bingham, for- 
tunately for Philadelphia and Pennsylvania still active and 
energetic in the di.scharge of his Congressional duties, should 



Address of Mr. Penrose, of Pennsylvania. 59 

be counted in the group to which I have referred. He was 
elected to the Forty-sixth Congress in 1878. He has served 
continuously ever since, for a period of twenty-two years, 
and succeeds Mr. H.\rmer to the titular position popularly 
known as "Father of the House." Kelley, O'Neill, Harmkr, 
and Bingham, all from Philadelphia, have in succession achieved 
this distinction. 

Mr. Bingham speaks of his late colleague as follows: 
"To no division or part of his constituency did he show 
more faith and solicitude and devote more personal labor than 
to the soldiers and .sailors of our wars since 1861. He made 
their claims and privileges immediate and special. In every 
case he wrote an autograph letter to the claimant, with 
words of interest, sympathy, and hope. He pressed those cases 
personally, and never rested until a fair and just judgment 
was rendered. Every soldier and soldier's widow among his 
people mourned for him when he died. They felt that they 
had lost their best friend." 

The pastor of his church at the funeral service in eloquent 
words, in the presence of large numbers of his con.stituents, 
said: 

"I would speak of him as a citizen, a faithful steward of 
the State. He was forttinate in that for thirty years, with 
only one brief interval, he represented his district in the 
House of Representatives, and his constituents were fortunate 
in having such a man to represent them. Without arts that 
attract the attention of the nation, he had those gifts that 
are worth more — lucid thought, persi.stent application, and 
unwavering fidelity to what he counted duty. 

"I would speak of him as one vvho.se life was sweet, with 
kindly words, friendly smiles, and generous deeds." 

The public career of Mr. HarmER extended over a period of 



6o Life and Cliaradcr of Alfred C. Haniier. 

nearly forty-four years — from tlie time he was elected a school 
director until the time of his death. His career was long, use- 
ful, honorable, and distinguished. He had more than filled 
out the allotted span of htmian life. We resign ourselves to 
the fact of death, under these circumstances, as coming in 
the inevitable course of nature. We suspend the proceedings 
of the Senate that we ma\' pay our trilnite of esteem and 
regard for the memory of our late colleague, and we extend 
to his widow and her children, to whom he has left the 
priceless legacy of an honorable and distinguished name, our 
profound sympathy in their bereavement. 



Address of Mr. Rawlins, of Utah. 6i 



Address of Mr. Rawlins, of Utah, 

Mr. President: Already we have heard a full and clear 
.statement as to the career of the deceased. I first met Mr. 
Alfred C. Harmer while .serving as a Delegate in the 
Fiftj'-third Congress. Mr. Harmer spent his life in the 
public service. For more than a generation prior to that 
time he had been a member of the House of Representatives. 
He had occupied many places of trust and re.sponsibilit}'. 

As I remember Mr. Harmer, he did not indulge in any of 
the ostentations of public life. He was a .silent man. Yet he 
was entirely sincere and faithfulh' devoted his energies and his 
abilities to the service of his con.stituents and his country. His 
warm heart, genial spirit, and devotion to duty secured for him, 
undoubtedl}', the continued and loyal ■ support of his people. 
Quietly and in his own way he did his part; his constituents 
knew it, and were satisfied. It is no light task, indeed it re- 
quires the keenest insight into human nature, much wisdom, 
and steady perseverance, to retain so long the unvarying esteem 
of the multitude. To him this trait nnist have been natural, 
and it seemed not to be difficult. 

When we reflect that for more than a quarter of a century, 
in all the vicissitudes of public fashion and changing circum- 
stance, one man could retain .so long the confidence of the peo- 
ple and maintain his position in public life without diminution, 
it certainly indicates something in the character and wisdom 
and usefulness of the man which it is difficult fully to appre- 
ciate and estimate. 

Mr. Harmer had as his associates during the period of 
his service in the House very many distinguished men. All 



62 Life and Character of Alfred C. Har?uer. 

of them, so far as I am able to judge from my brief experience 
in that bod}-, held him in high esteem. He was fulh- trusted. 
He was at all times respected. He afterwards became the 
father of the House, and not only l)y the length of his .service 
there, but al.so in the qualities in.spiring respect which he 
po.sse.s.sed, merited that name. I cheerfully, although my ac- 
quaintance with him was limited, say the.se few and imperfect 
words out of respect to his memory. His loss undoubtedly 
will be ver}- keenly felt, not only by his con.stituents, but by 
those with whom he was a.ssociated in the other branch of 
the National Legi.slature. 



Address of Mr. Hansbroiigh, of North Dakota. 63 



ADDRESS OF Mr. HANSBROUGH, OF NORTH DAKOTA. 

Mr. President: I knew the late Alfred C. Harmer as 
a public man only; but if the qualities he possessed in this 
capacity vcaj be taken as an index of his private career, there 
can be no doubt about his worth to the times in which he 
lived. It is related that during; his thirty ^-ears of service in 
the other body he never made a speech. Whether that be 
strictly true or not, his well-known .silence should not and 
will not be laid up again.st the vast amount of good he accom- 
plished as a member of the important committees with which 
he was prominently identified. I had the honor to serve with 
Mr. Harmer for a number of years on the Joint Committee 
on the Librarj', and it was here that I learned to admire and 
to love him. He was a courtly gentleman, endowed with a 
strong sense of justice and noted for his extreme caution. 
In the consideration of the measures which came to that 
committee, if he was in doubt, he would invariably advise 
delay, the result being that the bill or resolution, when it 
did receive his approval, bore those marks of perfection so 
much desired by those who aim to lay the sure foundation 
of enduring law. 

Another characteristic of our departed friend was the exact 
consideration with which he met and dealt wiih his fellow- 
men, the high regard he had for their rights, and the patience 
with which he .sought and weighed their opinions. 

Mr. Pr/esident, it is not for mortal man to peer with absolute 
certainty into the great beyond. We can only speculate as to 
the future. The my.stery of death has baffled the centuries, 
and it seems to have been decreed that we may only hope. 



64 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 

That erratic chanter of impromptu measures, Walt Whitman, 
has said, "It is as great a marvel to be born a^ to die;" and 
yet since these events are of daily occurrence, we have come to 
regard them more or less stoically. Beyond the joy in the 
family circle incident to a new human arrival the great world 
is unmoved. Because we do not recognize the genius of the 
man while he is yet in the cradle there lies a veil of mystery 
o\-er the daily life of the world which lends an alluring gla- 
mour to the commonest existence. 

Our neighbor is a good citizen, a kind hu.sband, and an 
indulgent father. We .see him each day and are inclined, per- 
haps, to critici.se his lack of philo.sophy when he misses the 
street car. Alas, one day, which has been just like any other 
day to us, it is reported that he is ill, and we are moved to 
grant him one moment's sympathetic thought. A mutual, 
friend mentions him with affection, and another recounts some 
sacrifice, .some patient, noble deed of heroism. It is then that 
his real worth is revealed and recognized, and he is at once 
transformed to a new and higher estimation — our neighbor is a 
hero. And when he has passed away tliere is a clamor of 
plaudits and eulogistic tongues that must have been wholly 
lost while he lived. Our neighbor was in truth a great man. 
We .shall hear nothing now of his lack of philosophy, but only 
of tho.se things which rightfully contribute to his renown. 
Thus, in the hearts and consciences of the living are erected 
the monuments to innumerable dead. As John Tabb in his 
tense little poem so beautifully .saj's: 

Their noonday never knows 

What name.s immortal are: 
'Tis night alone that shows 

How star surpaiises star. 

I speak to-day in memoriam of the death of a Congressional 
neighbor and friend. I would be glad of the gift of the magi, 



Address of My. Haiisbrongh, of North Dakota. 65 

who are supposed to have the power to enchant with words 
that stand out hke hving presences, for then might I hope to 
do justice to the memorj- of Alfred Harmer. 

For those who were near him that mourn his loss there must 
be some consolation in the measure of recognition which his 
associates here, who mourn with them, accord to the noble 
virtues of his life. Among those virtues was an abiding faith in 
the integrity of mankind. He was a true patriot, a consistent 
believer in the superiority of our form of government and the 
greatness of our common country. This being true, we can 
not doubt his complete coufidence in the Deity. 

Death, which he so well understood to be the chief inherit- 
ance of man, must have come to him as a sweet benediction, 
for his was a well-spent life. With natures like his I am sure 
there can be no regrets. The}' would not stay. There is 
somewhere a poem which celebrates "the city of the living" 
and paints it as filled with pleasure and joy perpetual. Within 
its wide walls "never any die." Yet after a long run of years 
its inhabitants one by one stole away and climbed over the wall 
into the land of "the blessed boon of death." So at last it 
must come to us as a boon. How grateful it mu.st have been 
and what a privilege to our friend after his long and honorable 
life! Optimi.stic, loving children as he loved all else that is 
beautiful, how sweet to his ears tlie whisper of the prattling 
child who, on being told of the beauties of God's home in 
heaven, replied, "Then death is only God's sleep." 

And so the joys and sorrows of life are blended with the 
mysteries of death in close embrace. Lucretius, the ancient 
philosopher and poet, tells us that — 

Things seem to die, but die not; the spring showers 

Melt on the bosom of iSIother Earth, 
But rise again in fruits and leaves and flowers. 

And every death is nothing but a birth. 

H. Doc. 525 5 



66 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. CHANDLER, OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

Mr. President: The Senator from Pennsylvania [Mr. 
Penrose] , on account of my pleasant acquaintance with Mr. 
Hakmer, has asked me on this occasion to pay a tribute to 
his niemorj'. 

I am reminded of the members of the House of Repre- 
sentatives from Philadelphia whom I have known since I came 
to this city in 1864. Judge William D. Kelley, indeed, I had 
known before that time, when he came to New Hampshire in 
the spring canvasses in that State, and traveled over our hills 
and through our snowstorms in order to make political speeches 
in advocacy of the political faith that was in him. 

Judge Kelley was probably the most remarkable of the 
Representatives from the city of Philadelphia whom I have 
known. A .self-made man, because he po,ssessed no early 
advanta.ges, he came to be a political economist of the highest 
rank. He studied great questions, expounded them, became 
an orator in behalf of the American system of protection, and 
came to Congress for that long career which made him 
preeminently the Father of the House. 

In 1864 I also met that genial gentleman, Charles O'Neill, 
and knew him intimately until the day of his death. Whole- 
.souled, genial, and affectionate, he was one of the mo.st 
agreeable acquaintances of my life. I mourned his loss with 
as much sincerity as I ever did that of any dear friend. 

Leonard Myers was at the .same time a Representative from 
Philadelphia. He is a lawyer of keenness and shrewdness, 
an eloquent speaker, and a most energetic advocate of ever\- 
cause which he espouses. I am glad to state that he still 



Address of Mr. Chandhr. of AV'c Hampshire. 67 

lives, in the full possession of his faculties and in the en- 
joyment of the best blessings which life can confer. 

General H. H. Bingham I well know, and I highly esteem 
him — a man of energy, an incisive speaker, a persistent 
investigator — a Representative well worth}' of the great city 
which he represents. 

Next, the thought comes to ever}' one of us of Samuel J. 
Randall. He became a great man, although he was not born 
to affluence. But he was intellectually strong. He had moral 
and physical courage unlimited, and an indomitable will, and 
he represented the great protection city of Philadelphia in 
Congress a long period. Although he differed .so much from 
the great constituency which made the whole city, yet I think 
he was sent to the House with the general concurrence of all 
the broad-minded and influential citizens without distinction of 
party. I truh' desire, having mentioned Mr. Randall, to .speak 
of him in the highest terms as a citizen, as a Representative, 
and as a statesman. My relations with him, although we were 
of opposite politics, were very delightful and mutually helpful. 
He certainly had no more sincere and respectful mourner than 
I was. 

Mr. President, to join the Philadelphia delegation in the 
House of Representatives in 1870 came Mr. Alfred C. 
Harmer. I became acquainted with him immediately. I 
knew him during his whole career. There was between us 
tender and intimate friend.ship ; we never had a word of 
difference during thirty years ; and I surely have the right 
here and now to speak earnest words in his praise and to do 
all I can to pay due honor to his memory. 

Mr. President, although it is true, as the Senator from North 
Dakota [Mr. Hansbrough] has said, that Mr. Harmer was 
not an orator, yet we know he was no ordinary man. No man 



68 Life and Chaiadcy of Alfred C. Harmer. 

without sreat intellectual and moral qualities could hold the 
confidence of his constituents as he did for twenty-eisjht 3'ears 
(being left out of the House only two years by accident, as has 
been shown by the Senator from Pennsylvania). Men do not 
reach such distinction without extraordinary qualities, and if 
they do not possess the gift of eloq lence, the traits which 
would give a man such high position must be in some respects 
stronger than those possessed by some of the noted orators of 
the House and Senate. 

Mr. Harmer had no collegiate education. He was educated 
in the public schools of Germantown and in the Germantown 
Academy, and very early plunged into the active business of 
life. He became a merchant. He dealt in real estate. He 
engaged with Yankee shrewdness — I may say with Philadelphia 
shrewdness — in the bu.siness of money making, and was suc- 
cessful in acquiring a competency for himself and his family. 
His rare qualities called him into the service of his fellow- 
citizens, and he became early connected with the city govern- 
ment of Philadelphia. His local career in that city is one 
which I know does him no discredit in any single respect, and 
which, I am sure, reflects high honor upon his name. 

Next he was elected to his higher duties in the Capitol of 
the nation. All who knew him there realize how industrious 
he was; how jiersistent he was. The Senator from North 
Dakota has told us how cautious he was in all his acts and 
conduct as a legislator; and he developed, Mr. President, the 
highest order of practical wisdom as a representative of the peo- 
ple of his city. 

I thiidc I ought to .speak in the strongest language I can 
command in emphasizing the usefulness in Congress of 
such men as Mr. H.vrmer. It is not those of us who make 
long speeches who render the most effective service to our 



Address of Mr. Chmidlcr, of Neu' Ha}npsliirc. 69 

constituents, but it is those of us who quietly and unostenta- 
tiousl}' study the subjects of legislation and see to it that wise 
and beneficent laws are enacted, doin,s; the duty not by oratory, 
but by practical common sense and persistent application of our 
power to the performance of tlie duties which we are called 
upon to fulfill. 

Such was Mr. Harmer in public life, to my personal knowl- 
edge, and I also know that he was a good citizen. In his 
family relations he was a kind and generous and noble hus- 
band and father, genial and gentle and loving in all his domes- 
tic relations, and in his personal relations with those of us who 
knew him so well and who so deeply mourn the loss of a true 
and tender friend. 

Mr. President, on an occasion like this inevitabh' our 
thoughts revert to the question of our immortality. We 
pause from the bustle of hfe to think of death and what 
comes after it, and we are not willing to believe that death 
is annihilation. It can not be that this world in all its gran- 
deur, that this world with all the wonders which the telescope 
reveals, with all the wonders which the microscope discloses, 
is the end of all things to the men and women who live upon 
it. We have no knowledge. As the Senator from North 
Dakota has said, it is mainly hope; and }^et we do believe as 
well as hope that after all the excitements of life have passed, 
and the powers of nature fail, there will be an existence beyond. 

There is a state unknown, unseen. 

Where parted souls must be; 
And but a step doth lie between 

That world of souls and rae. 

And yet, Mr. President, although the step is quick in time, 
I can not help thinking, as I have .said before in this Cham- 
ber, that the final resting place or the final place of service 
to which we go is far off in distance, is away among the 



70 Life and Character of Alfred C. Hariiicr. 

stars of heaven. It can liardly be that we hve as disembodied 
spirits waiting near this present earth of ours, which, com- 
pared with even the visible orbs, is but a speck in God's 
universe. If it were so it would be a .sad condition, for we 
could not communicate with tho.se whom we Iiave loved and 
who remain here, and they could not connnunicate with us. 
So I like to think that the stars are our future abodes; that 
in the twinkling of an eye, with the rapidity of light, when 
we leave this temporarj' home we go on to our new and 
eternal existence in some of the great worlds around us which 
are kept in their ceaseless circuit by an Almighty hand. 

Mr. President, I heard a few )-ears ago a discourse in one 
of the churches of this city from the Rev. William Henry 
Furness, whom my friend the Senator from Pennsylvania well 
knew, the .sainth' Unitarian divine who wrote some of the 
noblest hymns in our langua.ge. He came here after he was 
so old and feeble that he could not stand in the pulpit, ajid 
sitting in his chair he talked to us sweetly and inspiringly of 
immortality, and urged us all to renew our faith in the future 
life; to cling to the belief that the glories of the hereafter 
are such that the joys of this present world are not to be 
compared with them. And after he had thus inculcated upon 
us faith in immortality, he said that while, of course, we 
could not know what we are to encounter when we go into 
the world of spirits, yet he would tell us what he sometimes 
thought we might reach in that future state. After several 
joyful imaginings he lastly said: "Considering all the trials 
and sorrows, bereavements and disappointments, which come 
to us as we grow old, I .sometimes think that it will be a little 
easier for us in the next life than it has been in the present 
life." 

Mr. President, possilily that is not the true and complete 



Address of Mr. C)iaiidh-r, of New nampsbire. 71 

idea, because we all of us, when we reason on the subject, 
must believe that the life to come is eventually to be a life 
of activity, a life of work, a life of service. Yet the most 
prevalent hope of the devout is that of a little rest before 
entering into new labors. The new life we wi.sh to be a little 
easier; a little rest is what we long for, and with the bless- 
ing of God upon us we .shall first renew our strength in a 
blissful and blessed repose. 

Rest comes at length, though life be long and drear5'. 
The day must dawn, the darksome night be past; 

All journeys end in welcomes to the wear)-. 
And heaven, the heart's true home, will come at last. 



72 Life and Character of Alfred C. //artier. 



ADDRESS OF MR, MONEY, OF MISSISSIPPI. 

Mr. President: It ha.s been two decades and a lu.struiii 
since my acquaintance began with tlie subject of these eulogies. 
Alfred C. Harmer entered the Forty-.second Congress, ser\-ed 
in the Forty-third, again reentered — after leaving out the Forty- 
fourth — the Forty-fifth Congress, and continued as a member 
of Congress until the day of his death. I was a member of the 
Forty-fourth Congress, and then became acquainted with him 
as with all the other Philadelphia members who have been .so 
feelingly and affectionately remembered by my friend from 
New Hampshire [Mr. Chandler] . Tliat was a time of intense 
political excitement. 

Mr. Harmer lost his seat, I think, in the Forty-fourth Con- 
gress, because in that year there was an upheaval in politics, a 
sort of cataclysm that hurled from power the Republican party 
and placed in the Hou.se of Representatives a Democratic ma- 
jority and from the South men who truh- represented it. The 
South had not up to that time been represented b}- its own sons, 
and in that political revolution I, with a great many others, 
came into Congress from the South. 

It happened that the fury of the conflict, which always affords 
to great men their opportunities, brought to the front the strong 
men of the North and of the .South, and they met in that Con- 
gress, which, in my opinion, was the greatest that has ever 
as.sembled in the House of Representatives, if perhaps we may 
exclude some three or four of the first Congresses which had in 
their membership the men who framed the Constitution of the 
United States. 

I had it in nn- mind this morning to call over the names 
of the distinguished men who composed that grand assembly of 



Address of Mr. Money, of Mississippi. 73 

genius and of character. It is sad to note how many of them 
have passed to "that bourn whence no traveler e'er returns." 
Out of the 357 members now sitting- in the House of Represen- 
tatives onl}- 2 of them were members of the Forty-fourth Con- 
gress — General Ketcham, of New York, and Mr. Cannon, of 
Illinois, both of whom have not been serving uninterrupted 
terms. 

The arra}- of genius, talent, and character that met in political 
conflict upon the floor of the House of Representatives was 
not only remarkable for its greatness, but remarkable for its 
controversies. This great Republic at that time was settling 
questions of the most momentous importance. Vital interests, 
far-reaching policies and principles, were to be determined. It 
.seemed as though the sections — the East, North, West, and 
South — had sent their best men to the controversy. 

I desire to read the names of a few of the men I have noted 
here, those who are recognized as men of national character and 
importance who were then the members of that august body 
and who have now passed away. 

I recollect very well Michael C. Kerr, the first Speaker of the 
House of Representatives in that Congress, to be followed b}' 
that distinguished Pennsylvanian who has been so well eulo- 
gized by my friend from New Hampshire, Samuel J. Randall, 
the man with a lion heart and with a consununate tact for the 
management of men and the resolution not to be daunted b}' 
any opposition. 

Among the members was the brilliant, the witty, the humor- 
ous, the belles-lettres scholar, vSunset Cox — S. S. Cox. Also 
Richard P. Bland, whose agitation of the silver question so 
long and with such ability won him a world-wide reputation. 

Following him was David B. Culberson, probably the great- 
e.st lawyer the Hou.se has ever seen, or certainly one of its very 



74 Life a»d Character of Alfred C. Harmcr. 

first, and from the beginuiug of his career to the close of it 
always a commanding power in the House. 

Next was Charles J. Faulkner, an old man, distinguished be- 
fore the civil war in the House of Representatives, and who 
had served as a minister to France, an accomplished diplomat, 
and an old-time Virginia gentleman. 

Then E. John Ellis, called the "eloquent" Ellis, of Louisi- 
ana, who, with a mellifluous voice and beautiful rhetoric, .so 
often entertained the fancy and won the plaudits of audiences 
in every section. 

Following him was David Dudle\' Field, one of the greatest 
lawyers New York has ever known and, I believe, the author 
of the movement to codif\' the laws of the States. 

Then came James A. Garfield, afterwards the President of 
this great Republic, a man of supreme intellectual power, of 
the most amiable personal character, a good companion, and 
a .student of almo.st everything that came within his intellec- 
tual surve\-. 

Following him was a man whose name was a name to con- 
jure with — James G. Blaine, the brilliant American ; a man 
with an intensely American foreign polic>- that he believed to 
be to the credit and to the glory of this country ; a man who, 
I believe, at one time had a larger and a more affectionate 
personal following than any man who has ever figured in 
American politics, in my time at least. 

Benjamin H. Hill, the lawyer, the orator, and the statesman, 
whose tremendous speeches had an effect in the House of Rep- 
resentatives in the Forty-fourth Congress that can be compared 
only to the discharges of heavy artillery upon a field of battle. 

Frank H. Hurd, the distinguished law^'fer and orator of 
Toledo, Ohio ; a man recognized throughout the limits of this 
country as one of the very first legal minds in it, and when he 



Address of Mr. Money, of Mississippi. 75 

spoke in the House he had the ear of every man who was in 

the Chamber. 

L. O. C. Lamar, who graced a place in this Chamber, passed 
from it into a Cabinet office, and afterwards became one of the 
associate justices of the Supreme Court-Lamar, the man of 
genius, the man of philosophy, and the man of affairs, whose 
eloquence was of that character which required study and 
thought, with no spontaneity, but with a magnificence of dic- 
tion and profundity- of thought that always impressed itself 
powerfullv upon' his hearers. 

Henry B. Pa>ne, afterwards a member of this body, a man 
who was an influence in Ohio second to none, a man of the 
purest and loftiest character. 

Alexander H. Stephens, the poor little cripple, whose life 
was lived in a rolling chair, but whose intellect, whose charac- 
ter every one bowed to in profouudest respect-a most affec- 
tionate, amiable, and gentle nature, and yet with a heart as 
resolute and as courageous as ever beat within the human 

breast. 

J Randolph Tucker, the profound lawyer, the sagacious 
statesman, the exquisite wit, the humorist. What a lovable 
companion! How delightful the memory he leaves to the 
circle of admirers he left behind him! 

William A. Wheeler, called from the House of Representa- 
tives to sit in that chair and preside over the deliberations of 
the Senate as Vice-President of the United States by the votes 

of its people. 

Casev Young, the great lawyer and orator from Tennessee, 
who only died last year, the friend of my heart: the man who 
was nearer to me, perhaps, than any other man; whose good 
traits were so numerous that they can hardly be enumerated m 
this place. 



76 Life and Charactt-r of Alfred C. Harmer. 

Jere Rusk, the big, stalwart man from the West, breezy. 
bold, frank, broad-minded in every respect; who afterwards 
became Secretarj- of Agriculture of the United States, and 
governor of his State. 

Omar I). Conger, a man of biting wit, with a .sarcasm 
that nolxxly could resist, who was transferred to this Cham- 
Ijer and distinguished himself here by his usefulne.ss. 

William D. Kelley, who has been alhided to by my friend 
from New Hampshire [Mr. Chandler] — a man whom I knew 
well and intimatel.\-. He was a disciple of Henry Carey, 
and he never omitted an opportunity anywhere to preach 
his doctrine with great force and effect — a man of genial 
nature, companionable in every respect, and one of the 
remarkable men of the Forty-fourth Congress. 

The next name I have on this list, which stretches out so 
long, is Cieorge W. McCrary, of Iowa, who became Secretary 
of War — well poised, a lawyer, eminent in council and in 
debate; and in every way worthy of the honors which he 
received. 

Fernando Wood, who was once the great maj-or of New 
York, and who became a figure of influence and importance 
in the Forty-fourth and many succeeding Congresses — a man 
who, I believe, at one time during the civil war had the 
audacity to declare, as her mayor, the independence of the 
city of New York. 

Alfred M. Scales, of North Carolina, a thorough geiUle- 
man, a fine lawyer, afterwards governor of North Carolina. 

Then from that Congress there were men transferred to 
this Chamber who are now living — Joseph C. S. Blackburn, 
the Kentucky- genius, who has his moments of inspiration, 
who has that peculiar manner, which Jefferson Davis had, of in- 
jecting into common conversation the most thrilling sentiments. 



Addn-ss of Mr. Money, of Mississippi. 77 

William P. Frve, the distinguished presiding officer of this 
Chamber, whom we all delight to honor-a man bold n. his 
conflicts, ready in his retort, capable in every sense, enthusi- 
astic industrious, indefatigable, and resolute. 

Eugene Hale, Senator from Maine, broad-minded, scholarly, 
capable, eloquent, able to take care of himself anywhere. 

Georce F Hoar, the erudite scholar, lawyer, and statesman, 
whose elo4uence has been the delight of this Senate and who 
never speaks but to instruct the Senate. 

Then I have the names of some other men here who have 

retired to private hfe to enjoy repose of declining years, who 

■ had figured as conspicuous characters in the Forty-tourth 

Congress. a ,u 

J Proctor Knott, the Kent.ick>- lunnonst, who made the 
great Duluth speech and the speech on improvements in W ash- 
ington which will go do.-n to the remotest ages of English- 
speaking posterity as the best specimens of American humor. 
Ro-er Q Milk, who lately departed from this Senate an 
honored member, capable of great work, forceful in language, 
and in every regard worthy of the respect of his constituents 

and of all men. 

W R Morrison, the author of the Morrison bill, whose 
courage and fidelity to principle secured him a long service ni 
the House of Representatives and the admiration of Democrats 

wherever one exists. 

James Wilson, who was, perhaps, the best parliamentarian 
in the House, and who is the Secretary of Agriculture m this 
Administration-a man whose intelligent, careful, economical, 
and efficient management of that Department has marked a 
new era n, its career and evidences a future usefulness for it 
that the people of this country, one-half of whom are agri- 
culturists, fully appreciate. 



78 Life and Charadcr of Alfred C. Harmer. 

John A. Kassoii, who is known now, and was then, as one of 
the first men of the House, a logical speaker, a ready debater, 
an accomplished diplomat. His speech before the Electoral 
Connnission in 1876 was one of the best. He has been .since in 
the employ of our Government as a diplomat. He has shown 
the most consummate skill in his negotiation of reciprocity 
treaties. 

Henry W. Blair, who came from the House of Representa- 
tives to the Senate and distinguished himself here by a long 
career of usefulness and by his advocacy of educating all of the 
population at the cost of the General Government. 

Then there is Joseph G. Camion, who has had long service 
there, interrupted onlj- h\ one term, and has shown the greatest 
capacity for public business. 

A. S. Hewitt, of New York, a millionaire, who succeeded in 
everything he undertook ; a cool, sagacious, level-headed man, 
who rarely spoke, but always .spoke with effect. 

Adlai E. Stevenson, late Vice-President of the United States, 
and la.st year again the nominee of his party for that high 
office, who presided over the deliberations of this Senate, clear- 
headed, cool, amiable, judicial-minded, fair, an honor to his 
country, and, I beheve, the favorite of Democrats everywhere, 
but I am sure, also, the friend of all with whom he served in 
the Senate on either side of the Chamber. 

Gen. Eppa Hunton, now of this city, one of the gallant Con- 
federate officers who distinguished himself during the civil war, 
a former member of that House, a member of the Electoral 
Commission, who afterwards came to this Chamber, where 
he continued the usefulness which distinguished him in the 
House. 

The la.st one I have left on this li.st is John H. Reagan, 
afterwards a member of this body. He resigned his place here 



Address of Mr. Money, of Mississippi. 79 

to take the chairmanship of the railroad commission of the 
State of Texas. He is the last surviving member of the 
Confederate cabinet, the counselor of Jefferson Davis, honest, 
fearless, devoted to popular rights. 

These are some of the members of that remarkable Con- 
gress, with too many of .scarceh* inferior rank. 

In the Forty-fourth Congress, among this array of orators 
and speakers, I do not recollect that I ever heard Mr. Harmer 
make a speech. I did not know him intimately, but .socially 
I knew him very well. He was a reticent man. He rarel}' 
spoke when anybodj- else wanted to do so, but he was alwaj's 
ready to answer intelligently any questions that were put to 
him. He was direct; he was amiable; he was trustworthy, 
and the best evidence of this is that for so long a time his 
constituency con.sidered him worthy to represent them in the 
House. 

He had great committee work to do, and he did it un- 
ostentatiously and well. He never paraded himself in politics 
or in society or anywhere else; but he was a successful man. 
He had a cool mind, a keen insight into business. He knew 
the trend of events. He in\'ested his money wisely, and he 
tried almost everything — mines, railroads, real estate, manu- 
facturing — and was successful in all of them; and after he 
entered public life he was still succe.ssful. In other words, 
he was a model American in many respects, a man of great 
dignity of character, of never-failing courtesy, of easy man- 
ners, charitable, and lovable. 

He was an indulgent father. He was loved by his family. 
He performed all the duties that devolved upon him in his 
long career — that of being a good father, a good husband, a 
good neighbor, and a good citizen. 

His religious convictions were not subject of talk, but they 



8o Life and Character of Alfred ('. /farmer. 

were deep. I do not know to what church he belonged, nor 
whether he belonged to any: but he was one of those calm 
and practical-minded men who believe that our lives here fix 
the conditions of our souls hereafter; that there is a here and 
a hereafter; and if he was correct — and I Ijelieve he was — 
then in that future world, when the. roll is called of all who 
were worthy of good report here below, he can answer, "I 
am here. ' ' 

We know nothing but by authority of what is lieyond. 
The philo.sophers from ages luitold have attempted to demon- 
strate to us the future life, the innnortalit>- of the soul. Plato 
as.serted it. Socrates proved it, Addison, the poet, believed in 
it and quoted Plato to justify his belief. There has not been 
a generation of n\ankind of any nation anywhere that has 
not acknowledged the existence of a God and believed in the 
immortality of the soul. 

The Acadian religion, the religion of the Chaldeans, a 
religion which Abraham carried with him down from the 
city of Ur, and which his succe.ssors carried to Egypt — take 
their invocations, their hymns, their prayers, and yoit find 
that all are to the same Almighty God, the Father of all. 
All speak of the future life in invocations for Divine mercy 
and forgiveness of sin. The ancient Egyptian religion — a 
religion wliich left such magnificent fragments of its splendid 
temples to be reflected in the bosom of the Nile and to excite 
the wonder and admiration for five thousand years. Take 
that fertile strip barred by the rocky hills, and beyond the 
hills the tawny waste of desert .sand, and in that valley, 
which was so long the seat of enterprise, of commerce, of 
literature, of architecture, of arts and sciences, and they, too, 
believed in the future life with an intensity of conception to 
which we are strangers. They would even have made the 



Address of Mr. Money, of Mississippi. 8i 

body immortal, and in their tomVjs we find to-day a hymnal — 
the book of the dead — in which the soul was instructed in 
what it shotild say when it appears before those inflexible 
judges who shall pronounce the sentence and decide its fate — 
"Have you done this?" and "Have you done that?" — and 
the soul nnist answer truly to them. 

Everywhere, even in the worship of the American Indians,' 
and especially in the Peruvian mythology, you will find 
prayers and invocations, showing their belief not only in the 
eternity of the soul and of a future existence, but in a .state 
of reward and punishment and of a Divine Being with power 
to condemn or to be merciful, the Giver of all good gifts. 
A preacher might take one of those pra\-ers — die prayer to 
Pachumac, for instance — and deli\er it next Sunday in any 
Christian pulpit, and no one of the congregation would know 
but that it was a beautiful creation from the brain of the 
Christian pa.stor. 

In all ages men have Ijelieved in the immortality of the soul. 
Later we find scientists arguing upon purely .scientific bases, 
and by scientific processes, without quoting any authority what- 
ever, although they are Christian believers, have demonstrated 
to a scientific conclusion that the soul shall forever live. 

We walk through that door into another chamljer, and from 
that to another, and no man knows whither we go. So we 
pass down to the narrow portals of the tomb, and we disappear 
from the gaze of the world. Our friends are heartstricken with 
grief for a little while, Init soon we are forgotten, we are a mere 
memory, and after a while a tradition; but the busy world with 
its thronging multitudes moves on. ab.sorbed in its politics, its 
commerce, its business. 

When the soul has gone beyond the portals of the tomb, 

H. Doc. 525 6 



82 Life and Charnctcr of Alfred C. ffainiry. 

when it has shaken off the flesh and its impedimenta here, then 
in the eternal hereafter we ma>- knuw tliat all of that which we 
call "the past," " the dark backward and abysm of time," that 
flitting, flitting moment which we call "the present," and that 
coming; which we call "the future" are all merged in one 
" now," and there is no past, present, or future, but all is now. 
There is no place, but all is "here," and above all is the 
goodness. of the Creator, the Father of all. 

Father of all, in every age. 

In every clime adored 
By saint, by .savage, or by sage — 

Jehovah, Jove, or Lord. 

Mourning for departed relatives or friends is simply an ani- 
mal instinct, the pani of breaking the tender tendrils about the 
heart. It is the pang of separation that gives death its terror; 
nothing else. Who fears to meet the future? Is there any 
man afraid? It .so, then let him change his cotirse. How men 
rush to the cannon's mouth, how they risk perils on .sea and 
land, and how little they think of death! What small terror it 
has for any man, whatever his belief may be as to the futiue! 

And, after all, Mr. President, every heart must feel that 

sooner or later we mu.st go to face the realities of which we 

have all thought and dreamed, and solve the great mystery of 

life and the still greater mystery of death. It has been .said 

that— 

It is not all of life to live, 
Nor all of death to die. 

That means that there is .something in this life that is 
projected into the life beyond; that the soul can not cast aside 
everything which it now has, but carries with it into the 
future existence something of the "now," something of the 
"here." We are told that the subjective mind, which con- 
trols the automatic functions of the body, and, which takes 



Address of Mr. Money, of Mississippi. 83 

care of us when we are asleep and when we are unconscious of 
the effort to breathe or to pulsate our hearts — that subjective 
mind is the part that will live hereafter. We are told that 
of the different nerve centers that one is the physiological 
base of the soul. 

Every nation has its belief upon these points, but all agree 
upon one great fact — that there is a hereafter, and that in 
that hereafter the soul must take its .stand as it ordained for 
itself in this world. There is no interference; there is no 
help. Of course the mind nnist \-ield to heredity and environ- 
ment, but, after all, it is responsible for its own efforts. 

In view of these facts, when I consider our departed friend, 
when I think of his kindly good nature, of his amiability, of 
■ his charity, of his self-respect, of his gentle bearing, of his 
sen.se of right, of honor, and of justice, of his fair dealing 
with his fellow-men, I think he has exercised at lea.st the 
religion of humanity, and like Abou Ben Adhem, when he 
awoke from his dream of peace and asked the angel if his 
name was written in the Book of Life. "Not so," the angel 
said. "Then," said Ben Adhem — 

Write me as one who loves his fellow-men. 

The angel smiled and showed him the book — 

And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. 



84 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmer. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. HAWLEY, OF CONNECTICUT. 

Mr. President: I merely wish to add my brief te.stimonial 
to what has alreadj- been said regarding the hfe and character 
of the late Representative from Pennsylvania, Alfred C. 
Harmer. 

I concur in every word of excellent praise which has been 
uttered in the delineation of our friend's services and every 
loving tribute that has been paid to his memory. I entered 
Congress through the House of Representatives in December, 
1872. I found there Mr. Harmer, and soon made his acquaint- 
ance. Circumstances connected me with the Centennial Expo- 
sition at Philadelphia, and I found Mr. Harmer one of the 
most generous, energetic, and kindly supporters of that great 
enterprise. Indeed, for that matter, nobody in Philadelphia — 
that noble city, the birthplace and home of the Declaration of 
Independence, which made her famous all o\"er the world — was 
anything else. 

The remarkable list of offices which Mr. Harmer held .shows 
that he was not only respected, but that he must also have been 
loved. 

He was broad-shouldered physically, mentally, and morally. 
He did not profess to be brilliant. It was not needed that he 
should profess to be an honest and just man, a man of integrity 
and true generosity. That was evident to all who knew him. 

I do not know that I care to expand longer upon the pecul- 
iarities of Mr. Harmer. In one sen.se he was not a man of 
peculiarities. He resembled in some respects men of the gen- 
eral class of George Washington — men of great, broad common 
sense, who did not profess to be showy, who were not showy, 



Address of Mr. Hmvley, of Connecticut. 85 

and did not attempt to impress tlie world hy their language or 
their manner. 

Mr. Harmer was at the same time a man of patriotism as 
warm as that of Abraham Lincoln. He went through life 
discharging ever\- duty and leaving behind him a memory that 
must be most grateful to his family and to all his friends. 
Certainly those of us who have been in Congress for twenty-five 
years or twenty-six years will remember him with very great 
respect and pleasure. 



86 Life and Character of Alfred C. Harmcr. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Carter, of Montana. 

Mr. President: Alfred C. Harmer entered the House of 
Representatives shortly after the close of the great civ-il war. 
He entered the Chamber of the other House when James G. 
Blaine was Speaker. Many of the distinguished men named 
by the Senator from Mississippi [Mr. Money] were members of 
that House of that Congress, and of the Congresses succeeding 
for a dozen years. There had been upon the roll of member- 
ship men of conspicuous abilit)', men whose services the coun- 
try can never forget, and whose names can not be omitted from 
any well-written history of their time. 

The period following 1870 was a trying period for this coun- 
try. The civil war had left the country in a distracted condi- 
tion. The painful process of reconstructing the States which 
had been engaged in rebellion was then in progress: the cur- 
rency of the country was inflated; the industrial life of the 
country in a demoralized condition. There was some doubt 
being expressed among the wise men of Europe as to whether 
our country could completeh" recover from the terrible shock 
of war. Pas.sions ran high; violent expres.sions were frequently 
heard in both Chambers of Congress; men at times ceased to 
reason and elected to rage; motives were questioned on all .sides. 

In the midst of conditions like this, Mr. Harmer entered 
Congress from the State of Peimsylvania. He was a quiet and 
a discreet man. Through the influence exerted by such men 
as Mr. Harmek, rather than through the lofty and frequently 
impassioned declamation of men who shone more brilliantly, 
good results were evolved from unpromising conditions. 

He lived to .see the countrv increase from thirtv-eight and 



Address of ]\Ir. Carter, of Montana. 87 

one-half millions population in 1870 to a population of seventy- 
six and one-half millions in 1900. The country's population 
had doubled during the period of his service in Congress. He 
had witnessed the complete conquest of the continent from one 
ocean to the other. Subjected frequently to stormy and harsh 
critici.sm, he had .sustained, as he thought was wise and well, 
the various measures under which the country's deliverance 
came from the unhappy conditions surrounding it at the time 
of his entrance upon his Congre.ssional career. He lived to .see 
the country, at that time disunited in sentiment, completely- 
reunited in sentiment. He lived to see the men who wore the 
blue and the men who wore the gray stand shoulder to shoulder 
and side by side again.st the common enemy, fighting together 
in defending the common flag of the common country. 

He happily lived to see those who questioned in 1870 the 
possibility of the complete reuniting of all sections of the 
country concede in 1900 that the Union was complete; and in 
so conceding uniting with all their brethren in its defense. 

The di.screet men, I think, have done more to advance the 
cause of good government than the brilliant men of the world. 
The world's workers, those who actualh' accomplish results, 
are little known in history. We have all percei\'ed in public 
life the potent influence of the quiet, silent, persistent, indus- 
trious man. I would not disparage, nor would I belittle the 
gift of oratory or fluency of speech, but would somewhat 
detract from the magnifying of tho.se gifts .so often possessed 
to a superlative degree; and in gazing upon the brilliant and 
showy side of mankind the meritorious and eft'ective body of 
men are frequently overlooked. 

Alfred C. H.\rmer was a member of the Fifty-first Con- 
gress. He had been a member of several Congresses preceding 
that. I entered the Fiftv-first Congress as a member from a 



88 Life and Character of Alfred C. Manner . 

new State in the autinnn of 1889. My acquaintance with 
Mr. Hakjier during my Congressional experience in the 
House ripened into a most agreeable, pleasant, and friendly 
relationship. The quiet, forceful manner and capacity for 
bringing about net results, without unusual or unnecessary 
disturliance, would quickly impress anyliody who became ac- 
quainted with the man or his methods. Pure in thought, lofty 
in purpose, always patriotic, he gave forth an influence alike 
beneficial to his constituents and to his associates in the House 
of Representatives. 

Immortalit>-, the Senator from Mississippi well suggests, is 
consciously or unconsciously conceded the wide world over 
wherever intelligent beings exist. But there is another kind 
of an immortality than that which attaches to the soul — that 
innnortality whicli is inseparable from the influence of good 
deeds. As a pebble ca.st into the midst of the sea will send a 
wave to every shore, so a good life well spent will give rise 
to an influence destined to affect the world in greater or less 
degree to the remotest period of recorded time. 

In this sense, sir, Alfred C. Harmer has achieved immor- 
tality amongst men. His life was blameless, his service to his 
coinitry faithful, and when that life closed there was naught 
deeply to regret. He had lived full three-quarters of a cen- 
tury, and had contributed in honorable, manly, and noble 
fa.shiou to the full measure of his ability to the betterment of 
his kind and the glory of his country. 

The resolutions having been previou.sly adopted, the Senate 
(at 6 o'clock and 3 minutes p. m. ) adjourned until Monday, 
Februarj- ii, 1901, at 11 o'clock a. m. 

o 



